We support EC's stance on using only Ghana Card for voter registration - Peace Council

The National Peace Council has expressed its support for the Electoral Commission's (EC) proposal to use the Ghana Card as the sole document for voter registration.

This endorsement follows initial concerns about the feasibility of using only the Ghana Card, given challenges in its issuance by the National Identification Authority (NIA).

Initially, the EC's proposal to use only the Ghana Card for voter registration faced criticism due to accessibility issues.

Stakeholders raised concerns about potential disenfranchisement for those without the card or facing difficulties obtaining it.

After a closed-door meeting with the EC to discuss electoral preparations, Dr Ernest Adu Gyamfi, Chairman of the National Peace Council, expressed support for the EC's stance.

He highlighted flaws in the current guarantor system, which has been criticised for compromising the integrity of the electoral process.

Dr Gyamfi endorsed the Ghana Card as a more robust alternative, potentially reducing irregularities associated with the guarantor system.

The reality is that until we accept the Ghana Card or one system as our form of registration, the figures they gave us, 63 per cent of those who registered within this short period used the guarantor system, which is high. Ghana Cards are 39 per cent so that the whole system of busing people will continue.

You bring people from a different constituency, if I think that this is my safe zone and I have enough votes when they move people from the constituency, then you go and say, 'Where’s your card, where do you live?', somebody comes in and says I know him. How can you challenge those things? he questioned.

Relatedly, John Mahama, flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has said that they will be very vigilant in the 2024 elections.

He highlighted the need for an impartial arbitrator to oversee the elections, citing the exemplary work of former electoral commissioners like Dr. Afari Gyan and Charlotte Osei.

“Dr. Afari Gyan was the electoral commissioner with several deputies, and he conducted several elections. Up till today, Dr. Afari Gyan is respected as one of the best electoral commissioners in the whole of Africa. Charlotte Osei was appointed by me as the electoral commissioner, yet the elections that she supervised, I lost. This points to the need for fairness and non-partisanship. Up till today, the NPP describes the election as the best and fairest election that has ever been held, he said.

He noted that although he appointed Charlotte Osei, she conducted elections that led to his defeat, which underscores the necessity for neutrality in electoral processes.

Read Full Story