Former Operations Manager of the Forestry Commission of Ghana, Charles Owusu, has asserted that people criticising the EC for its decision to use only the Ghana Card for voters' registration are creating unnecessary tension.
According to Charles Owusu, those involved, such as Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, a former EC chairman, and members of the NDC, should encourage Ghanaians to sign up for the Ghana Card rather than criticizing the EC.
He added that this would prevent them from being disenfranchised since the elections are some two years away.
In an Asempa interview monitored by GhanaWeb, Mr Owusu added that the actions of the former commissioner and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) are creating the impression that something wrong is being done, which might lead to chaos during the 2024 elections.
“If you look at our election cycles, we talk needlessly about certain things that lead to tension in the country. Some people joke about the process and procedures for the election and getting to the tail end, they start agitating.
“I respect Afari-Gyan so much. He is very experienced, but he should not have said that the use of the Ghana Card will disenfranchise many Ghanaians. Are we having the election today? He (Afari-Gyan) should have advised Ghanaians to go and get the Ghana Card.
“Mahama has spoken against the use of the Ghana Card. Other NDC members have done the same, and Afari-Gyan has also criticised it. What they are doing is that they are making people think that they will get the opportunity to register with other identification documents, which is not true.
“What they should be doing is to encourage people to go for their Ghana Cards. We are in 2022, and they are talking about people not being able to vote in 2024. If we are not careful, there will be chaos in the 2024 election because they (the people criticising the EC) are making it seem like the EC and the government are conniving to rob the elections,” he said in Twi.
The former chairman of the EC, Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, questioned the EC’s proposal to use only the Ghana Card for the upcoming registration exercise.
He said that the use of the Ghana Card as the only identification for voters' registration is against electoral inclusivity, fairness and justice.
According to him, many Ghanaians are finding it difficult to get their Ghana cards; therefore, the use of Ghana cards alone can disenfranchise millions of qualified electorates.
He questioned why the Electoral Commission is so adamant about using the Ghana Card as the only means of identification for purposes of establishing eligibility to vote.
“Ghanaian citizens don’t lose their citizenship if they are 18 years or older but do not have the Ghana Card. So, the moot question is: why make the Ghana Card the only means of identification for purposes of establishing eligibility to register to vote,” Graphic.com.gh quoted Dr. Afari-Gyan in an interview.
Aside from the use of the Ghana card, the former EC boss raised other concerns about the proposed C.I including the suggestion of having two voters’ registers.
