The opposition NDC has mounted fresh resistance to the Electoral Commission’s (EC) decision to exclude the old voters’ ID from its intended compilation of a new roll for the 2020 general elections.
The NDC has already stressed its opposition to the compilation of the register arguing it is unnecessary.
Addressing a press conference at the party’s headquarters in Accra Thursday, the National Chairman of the party, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo reignited their disagreement with the decision to exclude the old voters’ ID from requirements for the new one.
Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo said this is a ploy to disenfranchise many voters; especially in the strongholds of the NDC; the biggest opposition party.
Per the new Constitutional Instrument, only the Ghana Card -- issued by the National Identification Authority (NIA) -- and the Ghana Passport are primary requirements for obtaining the new voters’ ID.
The NDC claims this would lead to more than 62 percent of the voting population losing their franchise.
According to Ofosu-Ampofo, data retrieved from the NIA says of the 17.3 million Ghanaians who are above 18 years -- the voting age -- only 6.5 million have been registered and issued with the Ghana card.
That leaves more than 10.7 million electorates without one of the primary documents the EC intends to rely on for the compilation of the register.
With only a paltry two million (estimated) of the entire citizenry holding passports, Ofosu-Ampofo says the only option eligible voters have is to resort to swearing of affidavits to prove their citizenship.
“This is a recipe for chaos,” he told journalists.
The party also gave a regional breakdown of the cards issued by the NIA, arguing that majority of residents in the strongholds of the NDC do not have the card.
This, the NDC says is a grand scheme by the EC and the NIA to rig the December general elections for President Akufo-Addo and the NPP.
Meanwhile, the NDC has already sued the EC on the decision to compile the new voters’ roll, arguing the electoral management body does not have the right to do so.
The NDC avers that per Article 45 of the 1992 Constitution, the EC can only compile a new roll once and then revise it.
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