Former Central Regional Minister, Kwamena Duncan has justified the Electoral Commission’s (EC) decision to use the Ghana Card as the sole document for identification during voter registration.
According to him, it could have prevented the violence and confusion witnessed during the ongoing limited registration exercise held nationwide.
The EC advocated for the Ghana Card to be the primary identification document for registration, referencing its ability to streamline the process and minimize disputes over eligibility, such as age and nationality, as the card clearly indicates these details.
However, this proposal faced opposition from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and some Civil Society Organizations, leading to its withdrawal.
Reflecting on the situation on Peace FM’s “kokrokoo” morning show, Kwamena Duncan commended the EC for its foresight.
“The Electoral Commission knows the inside out of the Ghanaian political terrain. In their quest to avoid the incidence of violence and confusion that is why the commission wanted to use the Ghana card as the sole document for identification.
“The constitution clearly stipulates the conditions needed for one to be a registered voter in Ghana.
“The constitution states in Article 46 that the person should be a Ghanaian, and should be 18 years and above and of sound mind. That is what the Constitution says. It is for this reason that the EC decided to use the Ghana card to get the right data.
“If we want to have a clean register, then this is the way to go but it was fought against by the NDC. We are now back to the use of the old system where a guarantor has to guarantee for someone.
“The confusion and conflict happening now is clear indication that the commission has been vindicated,” he said.
Mr. Duncan’s remarks are in reaction to the observations made by the EC, which noted that disputes over the ages of applicants have contributed to the disturbances at registration centers.
Deputy Electoral Commissioner Dr. Eric Bossman Asare acknowledged, “We have also noticed that some of the disturbances occurring at some of our registration centers are due to the fact that some people are doubting the ages of some of the applicants.”
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