Ghanaians do not lose their citizenship when they’re 18 without Ghana Card – Afari Gyan schools Jean Mensah
The Electrical Commission has been cautioned by North Tongu legislator, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa to tread cautiously with the decisions it takes before the 2024 elections which could end up disenfranchizing people.
A recent C.I titled, ‘Public Elections (Registration of Voters) Regulations, 2021’, which is expected to regulate continuous voter registration by the election monitoring body eas what coaxed the reaction from the revered young parliamentarian.
In essence, what the Electoral Commission is seeking to do with this new C.I which could become law after 21 sitting days barring any hitches is to make the Ghana card the only mode of identification for individuals who are eligible to register and vote.
According to the Electoral Commission, this decision was arrived at in consultation with all political parties at the Inter-Party Advisory Committee ( IPAC) meeting with parties having their representatives present.
Reacting to this new rule by the EC during an interview on Metro TV, it was discovered that the opposition NDC was not present at the meeting. Also, Mr Ablakwa accused the EC of planning to rig the 2024 election in favour of the ruling party, the NPP.
“There is a clear agenda to rig [the elections]…but the EC must be told in clear terms that they are playing with fire.”
One of the most experienced men in this job being former chairman of the EC Dr Kwadwo Afari –Gyan also does not agree with the EC adoption of only the Ghana card as the source document for continuous registration.
Expressing his thoughts also during an interview with Graphic Online, he complained that with the current challenges of Ghanaians in accessing the Ghana card, using that as the only form of documentation for electoral registration goes against electoral inclusivity, fairness and justice.
“Ghanaian citizens don’t lose their citizenship if they are 18 years or older but do not have the Ghana Card. So, the moot question is: why to make the Ghana Card the only means of identification for purposes of establishing eligibility to register to vote,” Dr Afari-Gyan queried.
