EC Keeps Changing Arguments for New Register Because Their Reasons are 'illogical' – IMANI

EC Keeps Changing Arguments for New Register Because Their Reasons are 'illogical' – IMANI

Policy think Tank, IMANI Africa has criticized Ghana’s Electoral Commission (EC)  for its move to compile a new register ahead of the upcoming general elections.

IMANI has maintained its position that the compilation of a new voters’ register is “needless” and unfeasible considering the short time left for the country to hit the polls.

The Policy think tank also criticized the EC’s mode of identification for the voters’ registration exercise scheduled for June 30 this year.

The EC has had a constitutional Instrument (C.I. 126) okayed by parliament to allow the Commission to compile a new voters’ register with Ghana Cards and Passports as a form of identification. The new arrangement by the EC excludes old voter IDs as a form of identification.

This has been heavily criticized by the Minority in parliament who believe that the new Constitutional Instrument to be used by the EC for new register will disenfranchise many Ghanaians who do not have a passport or Ghana Card.

The NDC has therefore, in a legal suit against the EC, invoked the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court to interpret the constitution with a case that it was unconstitutional for the EC to reject an existing voters ID as a prerequisite for the upcoming voter registration exercise.

Weighing in on the ensuing debate, IMANI Africa said a court that agrees to the EC’s propositions to disallow Old voter IDs in its new register compilation will “lose legitimacy.”

 

READ ALSO:
NDC vs EC: Supreme Court Fixes June 23 for Judgement on EC’s Rejection of Old Voters' ID

 

The Founding President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, raised key points on Twitter to back the claim that the EC new register arguments are flawed.

He said the EC keeps changing its argument for a new register because it is all too clear that the commission’s reasons are “illogical”.

He said the EC are against allowing the existing voter IDs for identification purposes because "allowing the existing cards to be used would have meant a mere reproduction of the current register, which of course is anathema to the ruling party".

"Hence the EC’s quick backtracking and completely perverse and indefensible decision to prevent the use of birth certificates (as clear a prima facie proof of citizenship and voting age as there can be) and Voter ID cards" he added.

Franklin Cudjoe said the EC's actions is setting the country's democracy back "by at least a decade".

Read full IMANI report here