New date for voters’ registration exercise in due course – EC…But NDC opposes amendment to C.I

The Electoral Commission (EC) is set to announce a new date for the compilation of a new voters’ register.

It stated that in view of the ban imposed on public gatherings and religious activities by the president in a bid to curb spread of COVID-19 with seven confirmed cases, a new date for the registration will be announced in due course.

This was contained in a statement signed and issued by Sylvia Annoh, the acting Director of Public Affairs of the Commission.

It said the citizenry are entreated to prepare for the upcoming voters’ registration exercise on the theme: ‘Election 2020-Towards Free, Fair, Transparent, Credible and Peaceful Elections in Ghana.’

The statement said the EC had subsequently presented to Parliament a Constitutional Instrument (C.I) to amend C.I 91 which the amendment mandated that the Ghana Card and passport should be an accepted form of identification for new voters’ register, the Instrument was currently under consideration with subsidiary legislation committee.

But the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has stated that the EC’s push to make Ghana Card and passport only acceptable identification for new voters’ registration will be opposed because it’s not a good idea and it infringes Article 42 of the 1992 Constitution.

Rockson Dafeamekpor, the NDC Member of Parliament (MP) for South Dayi in the Volta Region, indicated  that it would be wasteful for EC to insist old voter’s ID card could not be used to register for new ID card when huge investments had been made into compilation of  old voters’ register.

“How can the Electoral Commission be reckless?” he quizzed and alleged that “the Electoral Commission is taking instructions from executive arm of government which is forcing them to sideline existing voter ID cards and rather rely on national identification card and passport to register for the new card.”   

The EC has submitted to Parliament amendments to the law guiding the conduct of elections that will make the Ghana Card and passports the only primary identification documents to register for the new voter’s ID card, citizens who do not have any of the two documents would have to get two newly registered voters to guarantee for them before they can register. -citinewsroom.com/myjoyonline.com