The Ghana Electoral Commission (EC) has declared its intention to take strong action against individuals who disregard rules and regulations during the upcoming voter registration process.
On Thursday, August 17, the EC revealed that those who reached the age of 18 since 2021 are eligible to register for their voter’s card.
During a press conference outlining the exercise’s procedures, EC Chairperson Jean Mensa emphasized that a single person can vouch for up to 10 applicants as guarantor.
She clarified that the law permits this specific number and cautioned against exceeding it, warning that any violators will face prosecution.
To verify their eligibility, applicants are required to present identification documents such as the National Identification Card (Ghana Card) or the Ghana Passport.
For those without these documents, two registered voters are necessary to vouch for their citizenship and age.
Mensa stressed that a guarantor’s role strictly prohibits assistance to non-citizens and minors.
The EC committed to identifying such cases and initiating legal actions against offenders. She urged media partners to help educate the public about the specific section of the law.
The EC aims to bolster the process by implementing a new Constitutional Instrument (CI) that will eliminate the guarantor system.
However, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) maintains its skepticism.
They claim that the EC’s determination to abolish the guarantor system is a strategy to obstruct voter registration in certain regions. Mustapha Gbande, Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, accused the EC of attempting to disenfranchise voters through a costly system.
On the other hand, the Director of Research and Elections of the New Patriotic Party, Evans Nimako, disagrees with the NDC’s perspective.
He explained that the party’s stance is to avoid challenges stemming from minority issues and non-citizens during registration. Nimako highlighted that the procedures for the National Identity system (NIA) differ from those applied by the EC.
As the debate unfolds, Ghana’s electoral landscape becomes a battleground of competing perspectives on voter registration protocols.
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