Politics of Thursday, 27 July 2023
Source: www.ghanaweb.com
Do not disenfranchise Ghanaians with ECOWAS Card - Coalition to NIA, EC
The group has called for a review on the stance on the sole use of the Ghana Card
The Coalition of Ghanaians Without Ghana Card (CGWiGC), which is an interventionist national advocacy group has said that the insistence of the Electoral Commission to use only the Ghana Card for voter registration raises suspicions of a sinister move to suppress the votes of some Ghanaians.
According to them, it is wrong for any Ghanaian to be disenfranchised with regards to any public elections and therefore, the Electoral Commission should review its stance.
Convener of the Coalition, Richard Kasu speaking at a press conference on July 27, 2023 stressed that no state institution must be used directly or indirectly to exclude citizens from their fundamental rights, including the right to vote, as guaranteed under the 1992 constitution of Ghana.
They, therefore, outlined a number of reviews which the Coalition believes is vital for the government, the EC and the NIA to adopt on behalf of the Ghanaian people.
“That having taken cognizance of the numerous challenges regarding the acquisition of the Ghana Card, it must not be made as the sole source document for the voter registration card. That the premium registration exercise ongoing by the NIA at a commercial value of GHS280 should be stopped immediately due to the already burdened harsh economic challenges faced by Ghanaians. That government, NIA should make provisions to enable Ghanaians access Ghana card registration through a nationwide mass registration at various district levels and further decentralized the registration to electoral areas if possible;
"That all-inclusive stakeholder discussions by NIA to make its services more progressive, accessible and affordable to all Ghanaians at all times; That the ‘Ghana Card’ is not wholly Ghanaian but appropriately called the ECOWAS Card hence cannot be adopted as the national identity card of Ghanaians,” the group stressed.
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