EC open to reforming electoral process
12 million Ghana Cards have been issued as of October this year, NIA
The Electoral Commission of Ghana has stated that it will recognize the Ghana card as the only document to prove one’s citizenship in its subsequent voter registration exercise.
Director of Electoral Services at the EC, Dr Serebour Quaicoe, in an interview with Ghana News Agency, mentioned that it had already engaged the various political parties to build consensus on the decision and only waiting for the registration laws to be amended by parliament.
He indicated that the registration law, when amended, will prevent persons from using the guarantor system and passport to obtain the voter’s identification card.
“We are going to amend the law to incorporate that. What it means is that going forward, anybody who turns 18 and wants to register, you have to come with evidence of the Ghana card to show that you are a Ghanaian and 18 years then we will register the person. You can’t use your passport or guarantors when the law is amended,” he said.
Ahead of the 2020 general elections, the EC organized a voter registration exercise in June where it accepted both the Ghana passport and Ghana card as proof of one’s citizenship.
Persons who did not have any of the two documents used the guarantor system where two persons who had already registered guaranteed for them to also get registered.
As of October this year, the National Identification Authority (NIA) said it had issued out a total of 12 million cards to Ghanaians.
Dr. Serebour Quaicoe, also stated that the Commission was still reviewing the 2020 elections and working closely with the various stakeholders to reform the country’s electoral processes.
“Our doors are open for proposals and recommendations and if it is in accordance with the law, we are going to assess it together and if possible, we will add it to our reforms,” he said.
Article 51 of the 1992 Constitution clothes the EC with the power to, by constitutional instrument, make regulations for the effective performance of its functions, and in particular, for the registration of voters, the conduct of public elections and referenda.
The 2020 voters’ registration exercise was governed by the Public Elections (Registration of Voters) (Amendment) Regulation, 2020 (C.I. 126), which was passed by Parliament in June 2020.
Director of Electoral Services at the Electoral Commission, Dr. Serebour Quaicoe