Minority Expresses Dissatisfaction With EC's Proposal On Limited Voter Registration


The Minority in Parliament says proposal on a new voters registration that will allow a registered voter to guarantee for five people who cannot prove their citizenship is a recipe for chaos.

The Vice-Chairman of the Subsidiary Legislation Committee, Kofi Osei Ameyaw revealed the Minority is incensed about C1 72 currently being scrutinized by the Parliamentary sub-committee.

The Electoral Commission is preparing to roll out a limited registration exercise in March for those who have turned 18 years, the legal voting age or those who are beyond the age of 18 but do not have their names in the electoral roll.

In the absence of a National Identification System, proof of citizenship in Ghana is limited to Driver’s License, passport or birth certificate.

It is believed many Ghanaians do not have these certificates as proof of citizenship.

Under the new regulation proposed by the Electoral Commission, a registered voter has to fill a form to guarantee for up to five others whose citizenship is difficult to determine.Kofi Osei Ameyaw criticized the proposal by the EC to resolve the identity problem as too ‘expansionist’. 

He said it will worsen fears of the Minority that foreign nationals from countries like Togo are on Ghana’s register. 

With the new proposal the NPP says mischief-minded registered voters can help push non-Ghanaians and minors on the electoral roll.

GBC