The Minority in Parliament has issued a terse warning making the National Identification Card (Ghana card) the sole identity document for registration of voters will deprive a vast majority of people of their constitutional right to register and vote.
The caucus argued millions of eligible Ghanaian voters do not still have the Ghana card and stand the risk of being completely disenfranchised if the Electoral Commission (EC) is allowed to carry on with the controversial Constitutional Instrument.
According to side, the National Identification Authority (NIA) has admitted there are problems with the issuance of the Ghana card and the fact that there is a backlog of millions of people yet to be issued the card.
“Therefore, making the Ghana Card the sole requirement for voter registration cannot be accepted as it will deny millions of Ghanaians their right to register and vote,” the caucus insists.
Minority leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson who addressed the media in parliament on Wednesday argued 645,663 people have registered but have not been issued cards, while there are those who have misplaced their cards and over 2.5 million who have not been able to register.
Proposed C.I.
He averred that every Ghanaian citizen 18 years above and of sound mind is entitled to be registered as a voter and vote during public elections referenda.
The EC’s proposed C.I., he said, seeks to do the exact opposite by restricting the realization of this right as provided by Regulation 1 (3) of the proposed C.I. which states:
“A person who applies for registration as a voter shall provide as evidence of identification the National Identification Card issued by the National Identification Authority.”
The Minority leader argued what Article 42 of the 1992 Constitution requires, is evidence of citizenship and not evidence or proof of identification.
He said, “Any evidence of citizenship should therefore qualify a person to be registered. That is why under the current C.I 91 as amended by C.I. 126, Ghanaian Passports and guarantor system are allowed as evidence of citizenship.”
“Clearly, the proposed C.I. which makes the Ghana Card the sole requirement for voter registration serves as a restraint on citizen’s right to register and exercise their franchise in elections.”
Dr. Ato Forson stressed the Commission is enjoined by the Constitution to advance the right to vote and not introduce any law that seeks to curtail the same.
Guarantor system
Addressing the proposed elimination of the guarantor system in the CI, the Minority stressed the proposition is a deliberate plot to deprive millions of Ghanaians of the opportunity to register and have their names on the electoral roll.
He noted the statistics of those whose citizenship was challenged during the 2019 voter registration is insignificant and immaterial to warrant a total abrogation of the guarantor system.
According to him, the proposal that the Commission should designate district offices and places it considers appropriate as registration centers will create avoidable problems for the electorate.
District offices
He averred the cost of travel alone can be a disincentive to registration for citizens whose residences are miles away from the district offices, especially in rural communities.
Registration at the district officers, he said, will also pose serious challenges for registrants who will not be able to know the physical location of their polling station as these are assigned at the point of registration.
“Given the high levels of illiteracy in the country, this will create utter confusion on Election Day, as such, voters may find it difficult to locate their voting centers.”
Finance Minister’s promise
Dr. Ato Forson indicated he does not trust Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to make good his pledge to provide GH¢1.5 billion to the NIA to complete its card issuance.
According to him, since this expenditure has not been captured in the budget it means the Minister will have to raise the money off-budget, which is tantamount to being given a blank cheque by Parliament to be fiscally indisciplined and once again breach the Fiscal Responsibility Act.
“I can’t do that. It is the same Finance Minister who has borrowed to the extent that we can’t pay out the debt. So why should I give another chance for him to go and borrow again? So we can’t rely on his assurances to make a decision because they don’t have the money.”
He stressed the EC does not need a new CI as CI 91 and 126 are enough for the district-level elections and future elections and should not be allowed to burden the state with additional cost
The Minority leader stated that the critical nature of the issue at stake and the potential of the C.I. to undermine Ghana’s democracy and disturb the peace and security of the country, the caucus will be engaging a broad spectrum of stakeholders to get them to appreciate the issues at stake.
The caucus, he said, will also collaborate with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to hold a major forum on the subject to explain the issues to Ghanaians.