<<Print>>Financial Analyst and anti-corruption crusader, Sydney Casely Hayford is advocating for voting rights to be linked with the fulfilment of the required tax obligations in the country. According to him, citizens should be made to select leaders if they fulfill responsibilities expected of them by the constitution.
His comments come on the back of recent debates on the need for a new voters’ register which some say lacks credibility.
The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) at a press briefing on Tuesday made claims suggesting that the country’s register contained names of about 80000 Togolese nationals.
The party has also petitioned the Electoral Commission for a new voters’ register before the 2016 general elections.
Speaking on The Big Issue, Sydney Casely Hayford further attributed the inconsistencies in the number of registered voters to the absence of a reliable national database.
“We don’t need the multiple ID cards, we need one card, one card that has on your data on it, and in this modern day and age, you can have absolutely everything, if we have a single identification system, when you get of age and you are eligible to vote, that automatically transfers you into being a voter in the country,
“As far as I am concerned, we should tie the voting to the tax that you have paid or not paid, if you haven’t paid your taxes, you should not vote in this country… if I am paying my taxes, why shouldn’t the kooko seller made to pay hers as well… I’m not asking that we pay the same amount, but we are made to pay according to our incomes, this is the challenge we have,” he added.
Background
The NPP believes the country’s voters’ register is bloated hence it lacks credibility for the conduct of elections in the country. Reasons cited to back their claims include; the identification of the names of some foreigners as well as a 44.06 voter population percentage which according to them is questionable compared to other African countries. Their call has been supported by the Progressive People’s Party(PPP).
The governing NDC has however watered down some of the major evidences cited by the NPP. The party’s General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia has also challenged the NPP to seek redress in court over their concerns raised.
Meanwhile the Electoral Commission at an Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting on Friday asked the various political parties to submit a proposal on the need for a new voters’ register. The Commission however says it will access the reasons given and act appropriately.