Next voter registration: EC to adopt Ghana Card as only proof of citizenship – Serebour Quaicoe

The Director of Electoral Services at the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr Serebour Quaicoe, has hinted that the Commission is ready to adopt the Ghana card as the only document to prove one’s citizenship in the next voter registration exercise.

“The Commission has already reached consensus with political parties and is waiting for amendment of registration laws by Parliament to give legal backing to the move,” he stated.

Dr Quaicoe explained that when the law is amended, persons who did not have Ghana card would not be able to register to vote because the law would not allow use of passport or guarantors as substitute for Ghana Card.

The National Identification Authority, as of October this year, has issued cards to about 12 million Ghanaians.

According to Dr Quaicoe, “we are going to amend the law to incorporate that and what it means is going forward, anybody who turns 18 and want to register, you have to come with evidence of Ghana card to show you are a Ghanaian and 18 years, then we will register the person and you cannot use your passport or guarantors when the law is amended.

“EC’s last voter registration exercise was conducted in June 2020, ahead of the general elections.In that registration exercise, the commission accepted Ghanaian passport and Ghana card as proof of citizenship and persons who did not have both documents were made to provide two guarantors who had already registered to get registered,” he noted.

Dr Quaicoe observed that EC was still reviewing 2020 elections and was working closely with political parties and stakeholders to implement reforms to enhance the country’s electoral management processes and pointed out that their
doors were open for proposals and recommendations and “if it is in accordance with the law, we assess it together and if possible, we will add it to our reforms.

“Article 51 of the 1992 Constitution grants EC power to, by constitutional instrument, make regulations for effective and efficient performance of its functions, and in particular, for registration of voters and conduct of public elections and referenda.

“The 2020 voters registration exercise was governed by Public Elections (Registration of Voters) (Amendment) Regulation, 2020 (Constitutional Instrument 126), which was passed by Parliament in June 2020,” Dr Quaicoe intimated. -GNA