‘EC’s requirements for new register senseless’ – Afriyie Ankrah

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has punched holes into the Electoral Commission’s list of documents required by Ghanaians of voting age to register for it’s new voters’ identity card.

The Commission, which is mandated by law to manage electoral processes in the country, has stated it’s position clear that the compilation of a new voters’ register ahead of the general elections in December is imminent despite calls by some political parties and Civil Society Organizations to halt the process to save the state some funds.

In what looks like a pay back time, the EC commissioners – Jean Mensah and her deputy, Dr Eric Asare Bossman– who were appointed to the high office by President Akufo-Addo after sacking Charlotte Osei from office, have backed the ruling NPP who are bent on ensuring a new register is compiled, ignoring warnings by experts that the exercise can endanger the lives of Ghanaians at a time the country is struggling to combat the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus which has infected almost 5,000 and killed 29.

Speaking on Inside Politics on Power 97.9 FM, Director of Elections for the NDC, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, observed that the Jean Mensah-led EC has chosen to take the country on a dangerous path, throwing caution to the wind.

“Everything they are doing to justify the new register doesn’t make sense,” the former Minister told host Mugabe Maase.

Mr Ankrah, whose party has vehemently kicked against the new register, explained that the new Constitutional Instrument (CI 91) that has been laid in Parliament awaiting to be passed into law ahead of the December polls allows applicants to resort to the use of the Ghana Passport and the Ghana Card to aid in the acquisition of a new voters’ ID card.

He said that would disenfranchise millions of Ghanaians, citing that the National Identification Authority (NIA) authorised to register Ghanaians who have attained age 15 and above have had their exercise halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic with most people waiting to be handed their cards.

He also said per the new C.I most Ghanaians who haven’t received their Ghana Card or registered for it and without Ghana passport would be disenfranchised.

“This is an attempt at suppress votes…most of the people in our (NDC) strongholds who registered with the NIA have not received their Ghana Cards yet the EC wants to go ahead and compile a new register with the cards that most people who have attained voting age don’t have,” he lamented in Akan.

Meanwhile the EC, which has turned to the Ghana Medical Association for support, has in a statement assured that persons of voting age without the Ghana not Card and Ghana Passport would not be disenfranchised since the new C.I “makes it possible for applicants without Ghana Card and passport to register.”

“It must be put on record that the Ghana Card has been a requirement in the current CI since 2012,” the EC noted.