A lawyer, Martin Kpebu, is against the use of only the Ghana Card as the only source document for continuous voter registration.
Mr. Kpebu is concerned that there are too many hurdles for Ghanaians to acquire the Ghana Card.
“Perhaps we can roll out a programme, maybe over 10 years, but today to make a law… it is a farce. It is just not possible,” he said on The Big Issue.
Mr. Kpebu said the Electoral Commission should stick to current modes of identification which include a passport, a national ID, an existing voter ID or two guarantors.
The lawyer is particularly a fan of the guarantee system, which he views as very reliable.
“This guarantee system has worked and worked overtime… the guarantee system has never been a major national issue.”
Speaking on Citi’s Big Issue, IMANI Africa’s President, Franklin Cudjoe was more lukewarm on the issue.
Mr Cudjoe’s main concern was the pressure that would be put on the National Identification Authority.
“I do not think I have any major issues on [the use of the Ghana Card for registering], except to say that the NIA, therefore, must be able to fast track the registration in order to procure a voter ID,” he said.
“I don’t think they [the NIA] should be short-changed into meeting someone else’s timelines,” he added.
Another person who has an issue with the Ghana Card as the only form of identification is the former Electoral Commission chair, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan.
He feels it could disenfranchise millions of qualified Ghanaians.
The National Democratic Congress, the largest opposition party, also described the move as unreasonable.
The new Constitutional Instrument that could enforce this change is in Parliament and has been referred to the Subsidiary Legislation Committee of Parliament.
Source: Citi Newsroom
