A former head of the Electoral Commission, Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, has strongly warned against making the Ghana card the only form of ID for the 2024 elections. According to him, the EC’s arrangement to enroll new citizens exclusively using the Ghana card will be disastrous.
As indicated by Dr. Afari-Gyan, the activity will disappoint numerous Ghanaians. He disclosed this in an interview with the Daily Graphic. If an individual is over 18 but doesn’t have a Ghana Card, they don’t lose their citizenship. Consequently, the decision to make the Ghana Card the main form of identification for deciding the eligibility to register to cast a ballot is disputable, he said.
A proposed C.I. named Public Elections (Registration of Voters) Regulations, 2021, which is probably going to oversee continuous citizen enrollment, was presented to Parliament by the EC in July. As per the new C.I., the EC needs to make the Ghana Card the only form of identification accepted for qualified citizens who wish to register to cast a ballot. The Parliament’s Subsidiary Legislation Committee has been entrusted with taking care of the C.I. By custom, a minority group member fills in as the committee’s chair.
The Ghana Card would be important to cast a ballot in the 2024 elections, as per Dr. Bossman Asare, the Deputy Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC) in charge of Corporate Services. According to the EC delegate, one cannot enroll to vote without a Ghana Card, as stated in a meeting with Joy News. Subsequently, he has encouraged potential citizens to get their Ghana Cards.
“The Commission pursued the choice that presently permits us to have the Ghana Card as the essential standard in partnership with our partners.” So when you have your Ghana Card with continuous registration, you simply visit our local office where you are found, register, and your name will be added to the voter list, “the man explained.” The Ghana Card would be the only document accepted for voter registration, he said, adding that the Electoral Commission had met with various political parties and civil society organizations.
The Ghana card has impacted our general public, and as of this writing, around 17 million Ghanaians have enlisted for one. Based on what Dr. Bossman Asare said, the Commission and our partners decided to make the Ghana card the main model.
By: Randy Osei Akoto Citixen