Friday, March 29

Tag: New Register

New register still has minors and foreigners – EC
Politics

New register still has minors and foreigners – EC

The Electoral Commission (EC) says there are minors and foreigners among the 16.9 million persons it has so far registered to vote on December 7. This comes days after the Commission patted itself on the back for the successful completion of the voters’ registration exercise. Last week, the EC during its weekly update assured it is on course to deliver a credible elections with a register comprising only Ghanaians. But addressing the media, Chairperson of the EC, Jean Mensa who made the revelation said, measures are in place to clean up the register before the December polls. “We are aware that a number of minors have found their way on to the register and we are confident that the challenge process initiated at all districts throughout the country will help deal with this ill...
EC can go ahead to compile new voters’ register  -Supreme Court
Politics

EC can go ahead to compile new voters’ register -Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has in a unanimous decision ruled that the Electoral Commission has the power to compile a voters' register. Private citizen Mark Takyi-Banson and the opposition NDC filed the case in court asking that it stops the EC from compiling the register or allow the use of birth certificate and voters ID card by prospective voters as proof of identification The commission in its legal arguments says the existing voter register which was compiled in 2012 and revised since by limited exercises has been held by the apex court as not being reasonably credible. Deputy Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame urged the apex court not to impede the EC’s quest to obey the law and compile a voters.
Supreme Court dismisses NDC’s action against new voters’ registration exercise
News

Supreme Court dismisses NDC’s action against new voters’ registration exercise

A seven member Supreme Court panel presided over by Chief Justice Anin Yeboah, has by a unanimous decision, dismissed the National Democratic Congress (NDC) action in the consolidated cases of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) versus Attorney General, & Electoral Commission of Ghana and Mark Takyi-Banson versus Electoral Commission of Ghana, & Attorney General, which was praying the Supreme Court to declare as unconstitutional, the decision of the Electoral Commission (EC) not to admit the existing Voters Identification card as a valid document for the new registration exercise due to start on the 30th of June 2020. The panel of the Apex Court that decided the case include Justices Jones Dotse, Baffoe-Bonnie, Sule Gbadegbe, Samuel Marful-Sau, Nene Amegatcher and Professor ...
Supreme Court throws out Imani, other CSOs, in suit against EC
News

Supreme Court throws out Imani, other CSOs, in suit against EC

Supreme Court judge, Justice Baffoe Bonnie says policy think tank Imani Africa and other civil society organisations that had attempted to join the two cases against the compilation of a voters’ register by the Electoral Commission are not neutral. The seven-member panel of Justices presided over by Chief Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah unanimously dismissed the request to allow the think tanks to join the case saying their application is not supported by law. Imani and the CSOs have been at the forefront of the push to ensure the EC does not undertake the exercise insisting this is a waste of scarce resources. Lawyers for the Groups filed an amicus brief application. This is a request by someone who is not a party to a case to be allowed to join it to demonstrate expertise or provide ...
Thirty-five per cent of eligible voters may not participate in new voters registration
News

Thirty-five per cent of eligible voters may not participate in new voters registration

The Chamber for Local Governance (ChaLoG) says a survey it conducted revealed that 35 per cent of eligible voters declined to participate in the voter registration due to the Covid-19 pandemic. ChaLoG announcing this in a press release said, “Thirty five percent (35%) of the current voter population will not risk their lives going out to register if the EC is to go ahead with its avowed aim to compile a new biometric voters register ahead of the 2020 General Elections for fear of contracting the ever increasing spread of the corona virus disease”. It stated that in a quest to find out if eligible voters were prepared to partake in the upcoming registration, a total of 4,800 current voters were interviewed in all the 16 regions of Ghana between March 23 and May 30, 2020. Responden...
Registration of new voters register: Parliament to give EC green light
Politics

Registration of new voters register: Parliament to give EC green light

House of Parliament The Subsidiary Legislation Committee of Parliament has recommended that Parliament approves the Electoral Commission’s (EC) Constitutional Instrument (C.I) 126 which gives the commission the legal power to compile a new voters’ register for the December 7 general elections The C.I has limited the documents for the new voters registration exercise to only the Ghanaian Passport and the Ghana Card. Ghanaians without these documents will have to get two people who have shown proof of citizenship to confirm that they are indeed Ghanaians. Although the House is sharply divided on the matter, the Subsidiary Legislation Committee of Parliament has voted12:9 on the matter. E.C Chair, Jean Mensah According to sources, the committee had to resort to a vote due to ...
Provide legal basis for new voters registration requirements-Supreme Court orders EC
Politics

Provide legal basis for new voters registration requirements-Supreme Court orders EC

The Ghana national flag, center, flies in front of the Supreme Court building in the city of Accra, Ghana, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2015. Ghana's judicial service says seven high court judges have been suspended following corruption allegations by a journalist. In a statement released Monday, the Judicial Council said the decision was made following the judges' "stated misbehavior." (AP Photo/Christian Thompson) A seven member panel of the Supreme Court, Chaired by Chief Justice Anin Yeboah, has ordered the Electoral Commission (EC ) to provide the legal basis for excluding the existing voters’ identification card as a form of identification in the upcoming voters' registration exercise expected to begin this month. The EC is expected to file its legal arguments by Monday, June 8, 2020. ...
Speaker re-directs motion against EC to Subsidiary C’ttee
News

Speaker re-directs motion against EC to Subsidiary C’ttee

The Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye, has redirected a motion by Mr Mahama Ayariga, MP for Bawku Central, to the Subsidiary Legislation Committee to challenge the Electoral Commission (EC’s) decision to accept only the Ghana Card and Passport for the voter registration. The EC has presented the Public Election (Amendment) Regulation, 2020 (C.I. 126) to Parliament to amend C.I 91 to change the current identification requirements, passed in 2016. The Bawku Central MP, who is the Member of the Subsidiary Legislation Committee, had appeared before the Committee earlier on Wednesday,  but brought the matter again to the plenary, for which the Speaker declined to admit. The Notice of Motion filed by Mr Ayariga was seeking Parliament to reject the Public Electio...
EC pilots new voters registration exercise
Politics

EC pilots new voters registration exercise

The Electoral Commission (EC) today commenced the piloting of the new voters registration in all 16 regional capitals ahead the nationwide exercise to be conducted at over 33,367 polling centres later this month. Mrs Sylvia Annoh, Acting Director of Public Affairs of the Commission, speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Express said the test run, was to identify potential challenges to enable the technical team address them. She said all Ghanaians of 18 years and above and of sound mind were expected to register when the exercise begins June ending She said there would be a three day mop-up exercise for those who might not be able to register during the period.   Mrs Annoh said applicants were expected to present either a Ghanaian passport or Ghana card as proo...
New register: EC must be decisive with approach – Danquah Institute
News

New register: EC must be decisive with approach – Danquah Institute

The Danquah Institute (DI) has urged the Electoral Commission to be forthright with it's approaches and processes to compile a new voters' register. At a press conference on Monday June 1, 2020, the Acting Executive Director of the Institute, Richard Ahiagbah said although the Danquah Institute supports the commission's decision, the EC's public education and rationalization is a major reason why some Ghanaians are worried and skeptical about the compilation of a new voters' register.  “The E.C.'s public relations has also failed to give comfort to a coalition of Civil Society Organizations and political parties,” he stated.  “Recently, the issue of excluding the current voter I.D. as a form of qualification in C.I 126, has attracted widespread public disapproval. This should not...