The Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) has called on the Electoral Commission (EC) to rethink its decision to scrap the guarantor system and make Ghana card the only verification document for acquiring a voter’s Identification card.
Speaking on the Gold Morning Conversation on Radio Gold with Sena Nombo, Director of Advocacy and Policy Engagement at CDD-Ghana, Dr. Kojo Asante said the Ghana Card which the election management body has resolved to use for voters registration also allows for the use of the guarantor system during its registration process.
He argued that “the NIA has not been able to implement its own plans and given the current economic circumstances, it might be difficult to achieve that so I think from our position at CDD-Ghana, once the conditions are not ripe, you have to adjust and consider the guarantor system because same system also exist under the NIA process, I think the last time I checked the statistic is between 40 to 50% of people register under the NIA through the guarantee system”.
Dr. Asante’s comment is in reaction to a decision by the Electoral Commission to introduce a new constitutional instrument (CI) that if passed into law will abolish the guarantor system.
Briefing parliament on the new CI, the Electoral Commission maintained that the guarantor system is prone to abuse by minors and foreigners and therefore could no longer provide a credible voter register and elections.
However, Dr. Asante insisted the Electoral Commission must keep its own vouching system of identification but advised the Commission to put in place robust measures to check abuse.
He said “I think the EC must keep the vouching system, if you want to control the abuse, you can limit number of people who can vouch, you keep the vouching system because you even do it for the NIA, and if you are prepared to rely on the NIA then there shouldn’t be any problem relaying on you own the EC vouching system”.
The proposed CI entitled public elections, regulations, 2021 has sparked controversy especially the portion that seeks to make the Ghana Card the sole document for voter registration in the country.
Story by: Emmanuel Coffie/radiogoldlive.com
