Chair of the Electoral Commission (EC) Jean Mensa has said that the Ghana Card will not be used to vote in the 2024 general elections.
She said the Commission is seeking to use the card for the voter registration exercise.
Briefing Parliament on the Constitutional Instrument (CI) that is seeking to make the Ghana Card the only document for voter registration, on Tuesday, February 28 Madam Jean Mensa said “It is important to rehash that the use of the Ghana Card as the sole document of identification will ensure and guarantee the credibility and integrity of our register and elections, it will prevent the enrolment of minors to register, it will prevent foreigners from being registered to vote and it will eliminate the guarantor system which is prone to abuse and which promotes conflicts and violence.”
“The Ghana Card will not be used for voting in 2024, it will be used to register,” she added.
The Minority have been raising issues against the proposed CI.
On Thursday, February 23, they rejected officials from the EC and the National Identification (NIA) who were in Parliament to brief the House on the proposed CI.
They were expecting Madam Jean Mensa herself to appear.
The Member of Parliament or Tamale South Haruna Iddrisu said that the Minority are opposed to any move by the EC to use the Ghana Card as the sole identification document for voter registration.
He says any such move by the EC will hurt the right to vote and be voted for.
Speaking on the Big Issue via telephone on TV3 Monday, February 27, the former Minority Leader indicated that there are 3.5million people who are without Ghana Card.
He questioned whether the EC is going to deny all these 3.5 million people from exercising their right to vote because they do not have a Ghana Card.
“There is the right to vote and be voted for, the NDC will defend that right,” he said.
“We are contesting the use of Ghana Card as the sole reference for purposes of getting registered as a voter,” he said.
Source: By Laud Nartey