Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana, Ransford Gyampo has advised the Electoral Commission (EC) to build consensus with political actors on the use of the Ghana Card as the sole source document for the registration of voters.

This, he says is the best approach to engender trust in the electoral system.

Recounting a similar instance in 2006 when the representation of people’s amendment law was passed, he said due to several agitations that greeted it, the then Chairman of the EC, Dr Afari Gyan did not implement it.

“Dr Afari Gyan was wise in building consensus among key political actors on major decisions that could have plunged the country into chaos if it had not been handled well,” he said.

He, therefore, suggested the EC takes a cue from this.

“I will respectfully urge the Electoral Commission bosses to copy from best practices as the Bible tells us in 3 John 11a [Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good],” he said.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, Prof Gyampo explained that already, there is disquiet about the processes of both the EC and the NIA.

“There is a serious trust deficit among key political actors on the functioning and the role of both the NIA and the EC and I am of the view that if this trust deficit is not worked at, if the EC will want to emphasis on its mandate without going the extra mile to win the rest of the political elite on board, then we are headed for serious implosion, we are headed for trouble,” he told host, Samson Lardy Anyenini.

Prof Gyampo reiterated that already political actors believe that the ruling party wants to use the Ghana Card as a way of gerrymandering the election.

He added that whether the allegations are true or not, it is imperative that the Electoral Commission goes the extra mile to create some kind of assurance in the minds of political actors.

“I think that as it is now, if you speak to some of the political actors, they would tell you that it appears that the machines, the equipment used to capture the details of Ghanaians who are registering for the Ghana cards are many and seem to be working effectively in areas regarded as the strongholds of the ruling party and the machines are limited and malfunctioning in areas regarded as strongholds of the opposition,” he said.

It would be recalled that in September last year, the EC said despite opposition from some sections of the populace, it will go ahead to use the Ghana Card for the compilation of the new voters’ register.

According to the electoral management body, the Ghana Card is the most authentic means of identifying Ghanaians, and therefore the Commission’s decision to use it in compiling a new database of voters.

Subsequently, on February 8, the Minority in Parliament reiterated its strong opposition to the EC’s decision to lay a Constitutional Instrument (C.I) that makes the Ghana Card the sole identification document for voters’ registration.