According to Electoral Commission chairperson Jean Mensa, using the Ghana card as the sole registration document for voters is the best way to ensure the integrity of the voter register by eliminating minors and foreigners.
She stated that the guarantor system, which is currently used, has not been effective and therefore should not be included in the new constitutional instrument. The C.I. is currently being reviewed by parliament. Mrs. Mensa made these remarks during a briefing with journalists called ‘Let the Citizens Know’.
Mrs. Mensa further argued that the decision to use the Ghana card as the source document for voter registration is based on the fact that it is now widely available and serves as a reliable form of identification. She emphasized that the Electoral Commission’s motivation behind the C.I. is solely to conduct elections that are credible, transparent, fair, and peaceful.
According to Mrs. Mensa, the guarantor system currently used in voter registration is flawed and not foolproof. She argued that it is susceptible to abuse and can potentially allow illegal registrations by minors and foreigners. By relying on the Ghana card as the sole identification document for citizenship and age verification, the Electoral Commission aims to address these vulnerabilities and ensure the integrity of the voter register.
“Our experience with the 2020 registration exercise showed that several minors and foreigners using the window of the guarantor system found their way onto our roll.
“To rid the register of minors and foreigners in 2020, the Electoral Commission established the District Registration Review Committees (DRRCS) which worked for several weeks to delete the names of minors and foreigners from the register”.
‘It took substantial time and effort to expunge the names of illegal persons from our roll. We challenged some 40,000 minors and foreigners and expunged some 15,000 persons from the Register”
Source: Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana
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