THE Electoral Commission (EC) has suspended indefinitely, the limited voter registration exercise initially scheduled to run for 20 days, starting from Friday, June 7, 2019.
This is due to the pending injunction seeking to restrain the commission from holding the exercise, according to a statement issued by Sylvia Annoh of the EC Public Relations Unit, yesterday.
“The commission will announce a new date shortly. Any inconvenience is deeply regretted”, it said.
The limited voter’s registration exercise was in readiness of the December 2019 District Level Elections and the referendum on the election of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives.
It was to offer Ghanaians, who turned 18 since the last registration exercise as well as those who for one reason or the other have never registered, the opportunity to be registered as voters.
However, a Ghanaian, Umar Ayuba, last week filed an application at the Supreme Court seeking an injunction to prevent the EC from proceeding with the exercise.
This was after a substantive suit was filed by the same person challenging the decision by the EC to organise the registration in its district offices and some selected electoral areas.
According to the plaintiff, the directive by the EC is without legal basis and hence unconstitutional.
Among other reliefs, Mr Ayuba, is seeking from the Supreme Court, a declaration that upon “a true and proper interpretation” of articles 45 (a), 45(e) and 42 of the 1992 Constitution, the decision of the EC to undertake the 2019 limited voter registration online at the district offices of the EC, instead of undertaking same on the basis of electoral areas, will result in voter suppression.
According to him, this was evident from the same exercise carried out in 2018, particularly in rural constituencies of the country, and is thus unconstitutional, as it violates the right of first-time voters to register and vote.
He is also seeking another declaration the nature of the exercise was inconsistent with and in contravention of the mandate of the EC, as contained in Article 45 (a) and (e) of the 1992 Constitution and Regulation 2 Sub-regulation (2)(a) and (b) of the Public Elections (Registration of Voters) Regulations, 2016 (CI 91).
Additionally, the plaintiff is praying the court to declare that the decision to hold the registration in the intended was “unwarranted and a disproportionate burden” on first-time voters, especially in rural constituencies such as Daboya-Mankarigu.
He further wants the apex court to hold that the EC’s decision is unreasonable and an arbitrary exercise of its discretionary power in relation to voter registration.
Ayuba is also praying the court to order the EC and its agents to desist from destroying any and all documents and records relating to the 2018 limited voter registration exercise the EC conducted until the final determination of the suit.
BY TIMES REPORTER
