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Participants at a stakeholders consultative engagement on the implementation of the Representation of the People’s Amendment Act (ROPAA) have proposed that the Electoral Commission (EC) should be responsible for the registration of voters outside the country.

Speaking at the Eastern Regional stakeholders consultative engagement on the implementation of ROPAA at Koforidua, the Krontihene of the New Juaben Traditional Area, Baafour Nyantekyi Tutu Boateng observed that since many of the country’s Ambassadors are  political appointees, no matter their efforts, there would always be suspicions of some political bias if the Ghana Missions were responsible for the registration of voters outside the country.

He suggested that a gradual approach should be adopted in the implementation of the law so that lessons learned at each stage could be used to expand the process.

The Eastern Regional Chairman of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Mr. Maxwell Kudakor argued that the cost implications of the implementation of the law indicated that the country was not ready and the implementation of ROPAA  be delayed.

He argued that for many years, the national elections of the country are always supported with donor funding and the implementation of ROPAA could bloat the election budget of the country.

Responding to the position of the participants on the implementation of ROPAA, a member of the ROPAA implementation and consultation Committee, Dr Benjamin Kumbour explained that the High Court ruling on ROPAA gave the time and scope of the implementation of the Act and it was only by a court decision that the Act could be amended.

He, therefore, urged anybody who wanted any delay or adjustment in the implementation of the court ruling  could go back to the court