The Electoral Commission's intention to use the Ghana Card as the singular form of identification for voter registration in the 2024 elections could not come to fruition due to a recent directive by Parliament on March 31st.
After a briefing provided by officials from the EC, National Identification Authority, and Finance Minister, the Committee of a Whole of Parliament ruled that the EC should return to the drawing board.
In their report, the Committee cited several reasons for their decision, including the lack of adequate resources to ensure all eligible Ghanaian citizens can register before the elections, the absence of consensus between political parties, and the necessity for the EC to take its time before introducing and implementing the Ghana Card as the sole means of identification for voter registration.
The Committee recommended that the EC wait until all eligible voters have the opportunity to register and procure the Ghana Card before making it compulsory, and to include the guarantor system as part of the reforms.
1. Lack of adequate resources to ensure that every eligible Ghanaian is registered before the 2024 general elections.
2. Trust deficits between the political parties and the consequent lack of consensus on the implementation of this time
3. The Committee is emphatic in its position that this is not the time to introduce and implement the Ghana Card as the only means of identification of citizenship for the purposes of voter registration.
4. The EC should tarry slowly until every eligible voter is afforded the opportunity to register and procure the Ghana card before the legislation of such compulsion.
5. Inclusion of the guarantor system as part of the reforms.