Vote4NDC intensifies opposition to EC's proposed Constitutional Instrument
A pressure group affiliated with the National Democratic Congress, Vote4NDC, has stepped up its opposition to a proposed Constitutional Instrument (CI) by Ghana's Electoral Commission.
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The group has lodged a petition with both the commission and parliament, arguing that the instrument is a threat to democracy.
The proposed CI would make the Ghana Card the sole source document for identification before registration onto the electoral register.
Vote4NDC has called on the EC Chair, Jean Mensa, to reconsider the instrument and to adhere to calls not to scrap the guarantor system, which it says has served the country well in previous elections.
The group has also expressed concern that the decision to limit registration centres to the district offices of the Electoral Commission will disenfranchise many young voters.
Chief Biney, the convenor of the group on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, led some members to petition the EC to withdraw the CI as they believe it is a threat to Ghana’s democracy.
"We found it very curious that the National Identification register that is currently under compilation with the many challenges that the National Identification Authority (NIA) is facing is what you want to rely on for such an important national exercise like voter registration," a part of the petition reads.
"The time-tested guarantor system as enshrined in CI 91 and CI 126 as amended is a process that cannot be discarded just because we have started a process to have a national identification register or a certain group of political parties say so.
“What is again very worrying is the decision to limit the registration centres to only the district offices of the Electoral Commission, in days of harsh economic conditions that have brought a lot of pain and agony to ordinary citizens, the empathetic spirit of the woman you are should tell you that many of the young people you intend to register under the new proposed CI will not be able to register and many will be disenfranchised by this proposal.
"By this petition, we wish to call on your good self and the commission to rescind this decision, allow good judgement to rule and take your time to consult broadly before any such new CI can be introduced. Take a break and listen to the many voices of conscience that are calling on you to take a break on this move".