The National Peace Council has supported the move of the Electoral Commission to use the Ghana Card as the sole document for voter registration in future elections.
The EC had earlier proposed to use the card as the sole requirement for registration but had received pushback from key stakeholders due to challenges in the issuance of the Ghana Card by the National Identification Authority (NIA).
However, speaking after a closed-door meeting with the Electoral Commission to deliberate issues relating to the upcoming elections, the Chairman of the National Peace Council, Dr Ernest Addo Gyamfi, stressed that the surety system exposes many flaws in the electoral process, stressing the need for the use of the Ghana Card.
“The reality is that until they accept the Ghana Card or one system as the mode of registration, the figures they gave us show that 63% of those who have registered in this short period of time are using the guarantor system which is a high figure, whereas the Ghana Card is at 39% so the overall bus transport system will continue.”
“When I bring in someone from another constituency, this is my safe zone, and I think I have enough votes when I move someone from my constituency, I ask, ‘Where’s your business card, where do you live?’, and someone comes along and says I know him. How can you challenge that?”
Relatedly, Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Jean Mensa, has reiterated the commission’s commitment to ensure that all inmates who turn 18 years of age in each prison are registered as part of the sweeping exercise scheduled for August 1st to August 3rd, 2024.
“The registration of citizens held in prisons across the country will take place from August 1 to 3. The commission will carry out sweeping operations in all 268 district offices, including the newly created Guan constituency.”
“As part of the mop-up operation, we intend to register eligible citizens in prisons across the country and will be working extensively with the Ghana Prisons Service on the number of inmates eligible for registration.”
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