Thumb-printed ID cards must be accepted from voters

Dr Charles Wereko-Brobby, Presidential Candidate for the United Ghana Movement (UGM), on Tuesday said the Supreme Court's ruling that thumb-printed ID cards must be accepted from voters does not remove the right of Electoral Commission (EC) to establish the identity of every intended voter.

In a statement in Accra, he said the Supreme Court's ruling would ensure that no Ghanaian registered to vote would be denied his or her constitutional right.

"It does not negate established regulations which empower the EC to take appropriate measures to determine the identity of voters beyond all reasonable doubt," the statement said.

According to the statement, article 30 (1) of C.1. 15, Public Elections Regulations of 1996, states that: "A presiding officer may, before delivering a ballot paper to a person applying to vote at the election, require the person to produce his or her identification card or furnish such other evidence as may be determined by the commission to establish that he or she is a registered voter whose name and voter identification number and particulars appear in the register. "It also requires the person to make a declaration in the form that he has not already voted anywhere in the election."

The statement said there is nothing in the EC's guidelines which prevents a qualified and registered voter from exercising his/her constitutional right to vote with the exception of the suggested involvement of polling agents which the Supreme Court declared as unlawful.

The statement expressed its disappointment that the Supreme Court appeared to have confused the issue of eligibility of qualified and registered voters to exercise their franchise, which EC has never disputed, with the right of the commission to establish the identity of voters in clear, unambiguous and transparent manner.

It said: "The Supreme Court's decision to allow voter with thumb-printed cards to vote is not and can never be interpreted as being at variance with the EC's right and duty to establish the true identity of intended voters.

"The Supreme Court must clarify its judgement immediately to clear any confusion, misinterpretation and misunderstanding about its ruling."