The Electoral Commission (EC) has refuted suggestions that the choice to utilize the Ghana Card as the required identification for registering prospective voters might result in the loss of voting rights for certain individuals.
The Director of Electoral Services for the EC believes that the aim of putting all eligible voters on the list by utilizing the card is achievable.
“We are convinced that if we all focus on that and put our minds to it, that it is achievable, it will be achieved,” Dr. Serebuor Quaicoe said.
The Commission announced on August 1, 2022, that the Ghana Card will be the sole evidence of citizenship required for the ongoing registration process.
According to a number of political parties and civil society groups, this would be detrimental to the Ghanaian people.
Dr. Kwadwo Afari Gyan, a former chairman of the EC, has also spoken out against the decision, stating that “Ghanaian people do not lose their citizenship if they are 18 or older but do not have the Ghana Card.”
“So, the moot question is: why make the Ghana Card the only means of identification for purposes of establishing eligibility to vote?” he asked in an interview with the Daily Graphic.
Read Also: Ghana’s Gold Coast Refinery first in West Africa to receive certification
Dr. Serebuor Quaicoe, however, contested these assertions, including charges of criminality.
He was optimistic that the National Identification Authority will be able to register all 19 million eligible Ghanaians by 2024.
However, it was emphasized that the Commission might reverse its decision if required.
“It is only when we have probably gotten to the end of 2024 and there are issues, then the Commission may look at it, but for now, we believe that we can achieve them. Even by the end of this year, I believe that they will be meeting the target,” he added.
SOURCE: MYJOYONLINE
