Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt is seeking further explanation and clarifications from the Electoral Commission on why they would want to use only the Ghana card and passport for the new voters' registration exercise.
Kwesi Pratt agreed with opponents that the use of the Ghana card and passport will disenfranchise many Ghanaian electorates.
NDC's accusation
The NDC National Chairman, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo addressing a section of the media on Thursday, May 14, 2020, accused the Electoral Commission (EC) of using the Ghana card and passport as an excuse to disenfranchise 11 million electorates and therefore skew the elections in favour of the current administration.
But the Commission has denied claims by the opposition National Democratic Congress that it wants to collude with the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) to rig the elections.
EC's Denial
The EC explained that their intention to use the Ghana card and passport for the exercise is not borne out of any ulterior motive, but rather, to help ''in the elimination of unqualified names in the register''.
“The Electoral Commission is not oblivious of the calculated attempts by the NDC to repeatedly peddle untruths and falsehoods aimed at tarnishing its image and causing disaffection for it.
It is impossible for the Commission to conspire with any political party or institution as is being speculated by Mr Ofosu-Ampofo and the NDC since the electoral process remains transparent at all levels,” the EC added.
In a press statement signed by its acting Director of Public Affiars, Mrs Sylvia Annor, the EC assured ''all stakeholders at all levels of its determination to deliver free, fair and credible Presidential and Parliamentary Elections on December 7, 2020 as mandated by law''.
Kwesi Pratt's Stance
Kwesi Pratt, however, has taken the EC's statement with a pinch of salt, questioning why the Commission would want to ensure the Ghana card and passport are the only legal documents for the registration exercise.
Making his submissions on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' on Tuesday, May 19, 2020, Mr. Pratt said the Commission's requirements contravene Ghana's constitutional provision on what qualifies a person to be citizen.
"A citizen now will be defined as somebody with a national ID card and a passport? That is a problem . . . now, citizenship will be defined in a manner which is unconstitutional'', he stated and called on the Commission to review their considerations for the exercise.
Listen to Kwesi Pratt's submission in the video below
Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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KWASI, Do well to allow your senses to grow up with your age. Where in the EC's statement did they say only people with Ghana Card or Ghanaian Passports are Ghanaian citizens? The EC have even gone further to state emphatically that anyone without either of the required documents could get two guarantors who are registered voters to guarantee for them to register. Why did you deliberately decided to omit that in your lame argument. What are your and your pay masters afraid of in the compilation of new voter register. Please allow the EC to do its constitutionally mandated work peacefully.
Kwesi, if you have any other documented proof of what makes one a Ghanaian, please let's know or draw the EC's attention, else go to court.
PLEASE MADAM ELECTORAL COMMISSIONER BE MINDFUL OF THE PRECEDENT YOU ARE SETTING.AS I TALK TO YOU MYSELF I HAVE NEIGHTER OF THESE DUE TO THE FRUSTRATIONS I WENT THROUGH JUST TO GET ONE.MY GRAND MOTHER AND UNCLES IN MY VILLAGE DO NOT HAVE ANY OF THESE TOO. ALL THESE ARE DUE TO THE SHAMBOLIC AND DISORGANIZED EFFORT BY THE NIA. ESPECIALLY IN GREATER ACCRA REGION MANY PEOPLE COULD NOT GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACQUIRE THE GHANA CARD DUE TO SEVERAL REASONS BEYOND COMPREHENSION. TO CONCLUDE CITIZENS WHO ARE OF THE REQUIRED AGE SHOULD BE FREELY ALLOWED TO REGISTER WITHOUT ANY HINDRANCE
WHAT DID OGYAM PRATT ATE THE PREVIOUS DAY. I FIND ALL HIS ARGUMENTS SO POROUS, EXHIBITING SO MUCH ABSURDITYYY. IF WE MAKE LAWS TO DETERMINE THAT THE BEARERS OF GHANA PASSPORT AND GHANA CARD TO BE THE ONLY GHANAIANAS, YES THE BEARERS OF THOSE DOCUMENTS BECOME THE ONLY GHANAIANS. IN THAT CASE IF YOU THINK YOU ARE GHANAIAN YOU MUST FOLLOW THE LAID DOWN PROCESS TO GET ONE. THERE ARE RULES AND REGULATIONS IN EVERY COUNTRY UNDER THE HEAVENS TO BECOME ACCEPTED AS CITIZENS. YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW THE RULESS. WE DONT TAKE EVERYTHING FOR GRANTED. THE THE PROCESS TO GET GHANA CARD IS OPENED. IF YOU DONT HAVE IT GO AND GET IT AND STOP F00LINGGG AND DECEIVING GHANAIANS WHO DO NOT HAVE IT TO MAKE EFFORT TO GET IT. GYIMEEENO ADDSO. GYAE GYEMEEEENO.
Good move use the passport, and Ghana card. NDC brought Ivorians to vote in the last election.