Parliament has rejected EC’s newly proposed CI to make Ghana Card sole ID for Voter Registration

Parliament has rejected EC’s newly proposed CI to make Ghana Card sole ID for Voter Registration

The proposed Constitutional Instrument (CI) by Ghana’s Electoral Commission (EC) to make the Ghana Card the sole identity document for voter registration has been unanimously rejected by members of Parliament.

The House has directed the EC to present a new CI with the guarantor system reinstated after the use of only the Ghana Card would have completely removed it from the voter registration exercise.

The Chairperson for the EC, Madam Jean Mensa, who briefed MPs on the floor of Parliament, argued that the guarantor system was prone to abuse and that using only the Ghana Card would ensure credibility, prevent minors and foreigners from voting, and eliminate the guarantor system.

However, before the EC Chairperson appeared before the House, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Minority Caucus had already expressed opposition to the proposed CI, citing the right to vote and be voted for as a sacred right that must be defended, and questioning whether the 3.5 million people without the Ghana Card would be disenfranchised.

The Ghana Card will be used for registration only and not for voting in the 2024 elections.