The Programmes Officer of the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Paul Aborampah Mensah, has urged the Electoral Commission (EC) to expedite the process of approving the proposed new Constitutional Instrument (C.I) to avoid potential lawsuits.
The EC’s plan to use the Ghana Card as the sole identification document for voter registration is currently uncertain, as it awaits approval from Parliament for the C.I.
Mr. Aborampah Mensah expressed concern that failure to collaborate with Parliament and facilitate the necessary processes before the District Level Election (DLE) could lead to legal challenges against the Electoral Commission.
This year’s District Level Election is scheduled for October 3, 2023, but the date is subject to change pending the approval of the proposed new C. I by Parliament.
During an interview on the Eyewitness News with Umaru Sanda Amadu on June 15, Mr Aborampah Mensah emphasized the need for timely action, stating, “We have the DLE this year, and we are expected to allow qualified voters who have turned 18 years to vote. If we don’t complete the registration process before the election, people will sue the Electoral Commission, and they will win.”
“Because they have turned 18 years, and we have not facilitated the processes for them to get into the register to vote. We need to expedite action on that, we need to take a quick decision between Parliament and the EC, to agree on a common ground, so that we are able to have the CI to facilitate the process”.
He highlighted the urgency of reaching a consensus between Parliament and the EC to ensure a smooth process and facilitate the necessary issuance of the C.I.
Furthermore, Mr. Aborampah Mensah called on the EC to prevent a repeat of the vacuum that occurred in 2014 due to a lawsuit, emphasizing the importance of finding a common ground promptly to proceed with the DLE preparations.
While the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has opposed the EC’s proposed CI, arguing that it could disenfranchise many Ghanaians, the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has defended the policy, stating that its aim is to improve the integrity of the electoral process
