Dual Citizens can vote - Bagbin

Mr Alban Bagbin, Minority Leader in Parliament, said Ghanaians with dual citizenship could vote in an election in Ghana from their countries of residence provided the Electoral Commission has the logistics to extend such opportunity to them.

He said this had become possible following the passing of Act 591 and Act 573 last year on Citizenship and the Immigration Service respectively.

Mr Bagbin was reacting to a report quoting President J.A. Kufuor as saying in Lusaka that his government would submit a Bill on dual citizenship to Parliament to enable Ghanaians outside the country to vote in national elections.

He said the laws already exist and that the Ministry of the Interior last year submitted draft legislation to the Ministry of Justice on how the laws would be operated.

Mr Bagbin said what the President might probably be referring to is the draft legislation that has to be passed.

The rules or the regulations spell out the forms that one has to fill and whom to submit such forms when one wants to acquire dual citizenship.

He said Act 573 was passed in February last year while that of Citizenship was passed in December the same year.

On the intended code of conduct for ministers, Mr Bagbin said it would not be different from Chapter 24 of the Constitution that deals with code of conduct for public servants, including ministers as well declaration of assets and the resolution of conflict of interests.