The recent limited voter registration exercise by the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana, for the first time in Ghana, presented an institutional challenge that ultimately limited, rather than enhanced, mass voter registration.
This is explained by the EC’s decision to limit voter registration to 268 district offices, rather than maximizing electoral constituencies as advocated by opposition parties and civil society groups. The latter argued that the decision would pose difficult logistical and financial challenges for first-time voters. They filed suit in the Supreme Court of Ghana and substantiated their claims on the court’s instructions.
In typical fashion, the EC debunks these errors and appeals to arguments affirming the EC’s current “untouchable status” as presumed by the Human Rights and Administrative Attorney General. It is not compulsory for each election official to vote. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that registration centers will align with electoral districts, even if continued registration opportunities exist in the future.
Did the CSO and the opposition deliberately exaggerate the aforementioned significant logistical and financial challenges posed to some potential first-time voters? To understand the real-world impact of the EC’s decision, I contacted Mr. Fredrick Kuozo Tetteh, former MP for Kwekesu-Bampo constituency and NDC communications deputy for Kwahu Aflam Plains North constituency. I took it.
I learned that the 125 polling stations located at the EC’s Kwahu Afram Plains North District Office in Donkorkrom are accessed by 575 surrounding communities. Of these 575 communities, 220, or 38%, are comprised of island communities, also known as “hard-to-reach areas” or “overseas territories.”
βThe journey from Agodeke, the last polling station on Digya Island, to Donkorkrom costs around 800 to 1000 Ghana cedis if you come privately by service boat.β
The economic reality is more complex. If an individual does not have a Ghana Card for identification, the travel costs of a co-signer with a Ghana Card must be taken into account.
Let’s take a closer look.
Most of these island communities are under the jurisdiction of Donkolkrom, but there appears to be no direct public transportation linking them. Therefore, individuals rely on private speedboats, which are smaller, equipped with outboard motors, and more expensive. These options are likely to be derailed at any time due to lack of premixed fuel.
To access the market, fishermen regularly travel from these islands in the eastern region to Abotoase Island in the Oti region. However, to get from Abotoase to Donkorkrom, the district capital, you need to travel to Kpando in the Volta region, cross to Agoldeke via pontoon, and then choose a car to Donkolkrom. Of note is the fact that this boat, which connects travelers from Abotoase to Agoldeke, is only available on market days.
As my comrade Stephen Kemetse has eloquently argued, βEven GHC5 has difficulty in some sectors making tangible benefits like health insurance card renewals available.β Why do you think villagers incur exorbitant additional costs to access perceived intangible benefits like ID cards?β
No doubt this exercise will end with thousands of people registered. In fact, the EC touted that 182,931 Ghanaians were registered within six days of the start of the exercise. They will remain silent about the tens of thousands of people who will be systematically disenfranchised, even as they await the EC’s plans for continuous registration in all regional offices across the country in 2024. .
Other red flags are also emerging. The Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC), once a useful deliberative mechanism, has now been weakened by the withdrawal of the main opposition party, the National Democratic Congress, which has criticized the EC’s hardline stance. The heightened tensions further amplify the unyielding condemnation by other opposition parties that have joined the NDC in litigation over a limited voter registration drive despite IPAC membership.
Let’s zoom out a little on the limited registration exercise. Let’s put ourselves in the shoes of an ordinary Ghanaian. More and more efforts are being made around holding the Ghana Card. On the other hand, there is no universal guarantee for registering and holding a Ghana Card. He has one bottleneck on the system. Why don’t the affected political parties sue in court?
Well, the lawsuit they filed is still pending, waiting to be heard until the voter registration drive is over. Bottlenecks on the second system. Even after the opposition filed its lawsuit, the court clerk delayed rescheduling the hearing because the chief justice was overseas. Upon returning to his jurisdiction, the Chief Justice continued to travel to Cape Coast to attend bar conferences. Bottlenecks on the third system. In the meantime, registration will continue.
Eventually, you realize there is no way out. The political and governing systems that were established to give you free expression of your democratic rights and freedoms are conspiring against you. See how this goes?
What do you think will happen someday when people decide they’ve had enough of the merry-go-round?
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The author is chairman of the Center for Social Justice, an Accra-based think tank that advocates for progressive social change and people-centred development. www.csjghana.org. You can contact the writer via email at sodzitettey@gmail.com.
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