The National Peace Council has endorsed the Electoral Commission’s (EC) proposal to use the Ghana Card as the exclusive document for voter registration in future elections. This decision comes despite initial opposition from key stakeholders, who cited challenges in the issuance of the cards by the National Identification Authority (NIA).
Following a closed-door meeting with the EC to discuss upcoming election matters, Dr. Ernest Adu Gyamfi, Chairman of the National Peace Council, highlighted the shortcomings of the guarantor system currently in use. He stressed the necessity of adopting the Ghana Card to enhance the integrity of the electoral process.
“The reality is that until we accept the Ghana Card or one system as our form of registration, the figures they gave us—63 percent of those who registered within this short period used the guarantor system, which is high. Ghana Cards are 39 percent, so the whole system of busing people will continue,” Dr. Gyamfi stated. He pointed out the issues with the guarantor system, including the ease of transferring voters across constituencies, which compromises the electoral process.
In related news, Electoral Commission Chairperson Jean Mensah reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to register all inmates who have turned 18 in various prisons. This initiative will be part of a mop-up exercise scheduled from August 1 to August 3, 2024.
“The registration for our citizens in the prison facilities in the country will take place from the 1st to the 3rd of August. The Commission intends to have a mop-up exercise in all the 268 district offices, including the newly created Guan constituencies,” Jean Mensah announced. She added that the commission would collaborate extensively with the Ghana Prisons Service to ensure all eligible inmates are registered.
Source: sankofaonline.com
