Dotse’s clarification vindicates me – Abu Ramadan

One of the plaintiffs in the voters’ register suit against the Electoral Commission Abu Ramadan says he feels vindicated following a clarification on the judgment given by one of the seven-member panel who sat on the case.

Justice Jones Dotse told the Media in Accra Thursday that the apex court was unambiguous in its directive to the EC to delete names of NHIS holders on the

“I don’t want to interpret the judgment but as you heard it, the Supreme Court was quite forthright and clear that the use of NHIS cards is unconstitutional because the criteria for the NHIS was not based on Ghanaians citizenship but only on residents in Ghana.

“So a foreigner who is resident in Ghana for six months and more can register under the NHIS and that was the basis for our decision in 2014 and the recent one we said the use of the NHIS cards is therefore unconstitutional, they should take the opportunity to clean the register of those undesirable persons.

"Therefore we also do not want to disenfranchise anybody so the Supreme Court went on to say anybody who will be affected by that exercise must be given the opportunity to register according to the law and the constitution,” he explained.

Commenting on the matter on Facebook, the former PNC General Secretary said he forgives people who interpreted the judgment wrongly.

“I have really been vindicated once again but will forgive all those whose law and its understanding is challenged,” h wrote.

There is massive confusion surrounding the highest court’s ruling on the roll with many lawyers divided on the exact directive of the court to the EC.

While the EC says its understanding of the ruling does not point to the deletion of the NHIS registrants, the plaintiffs claim the court gave express directive to the election management body to cleanse the register.