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Politics of Thursday, 8 July 2004

Source: GNA

Voters urged not to carry Voter ID Cards

Agona Swedru, July 8, GNA- Mr John R. Amihere, Western Regional Director of the Electoral Commission (EC) has advised registered voters to refrain from carrying their Voter ID cards on them when travelling out of their stations.

He said it would cost the nation huge sums of money to replace the cards when they are lost. He therefore urged prospective voters to take good care of them.

Mr Amihere who spoke to the Ghana News Agency at Agona Swedru in an interview reminded voters that they were to take good care of their cards, and release them only on voting day.

He cited an example of a situation where a photo ID card was found at the Agona Swedru lorry station, and was deposited at the Agona district office of the EC, just four days after the photo-taking exercise had taken place in the area.

The Regional Director stressed the need for political parties to desist from collecting photo ID cards of voters for safe keeping, adding that it was against the electoral laws of the country. Mr Amihere said it is an offence for any person to be in possession of a voter ID card of another person without the express consent of its owner.

He stated that no political party or any other organisation should be in possession of a voter ID card of its members or any other person without the express written consent of the owners. He assured registered voters in the region who for one reason or the other could not take their photo ID cards that the Commission would undertake a mopping-up exercise to enable them to have their photos taken.