The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Jean Mensa has defended the new Constitutional Instrument (CI) meant to make the Ghana Card the only document eligible for registration as a voter.
She said if the CI is approved by Parliament, the canker of minors and foreigners voting in Ghana will be cured.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament, the EC boss also said the new CI will encourage all-year round registration unto the voters register.
“Under the limited voters’ registration process, registration was conducted at limited periods and was not done all year round. This made it such that, persons who turned 18 after the registration period could not do so after the time set for the limited registration, which usually within 2–3 weeks.”
“Under the new C.I., anyone who turns 18 can simply walk into any of our district offices and register to vote. This is a departure from the previous one. The main advantage of this is that potential voters can register anytime any day. Eligible persons will be at liberty to do it at their leisure because it will be an all-year-round activity.”
She also said this will reduce the usual pressure at registration centres, “thereby reducing the likelihood of conflicts whatsoever.”
“It will prevent minors and foreigners from voting and will take away the guarantor system,” she added.
The draft constitutional instrument entitled: Public Elections (Registration of Voters) Regulations, 2021 has sparked controversy, especially the section that sought to make the Ghana Card the sole form of identification for eligible voters who wanted to get onto the national register.
The Minority have been raising issues against the proposed CI.
On Thursday, February 23, they rejected officials from the EC and the National Identification (NIA) who were in Parliament to brief the House on the proposed CI.
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