Ayariga’s motion against EC baseless – Ahanta West MP

Vice Chairperson for the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Ebenezer Kojo Kum has questioned the motive behind a motion filed by Bawku Central Member of Parliament (MP) Mahama Ayariga against a Constitutional Instrument (CI) from the Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC).

The MP for Ahanta West Constituency in the Western Region has described the motion as baseless and incoherent.

He says the CI has gone through all the required stages in Parliament hence the motion filed against it by the Bawku Central MP is baseless and premature.

Speaking to Nana Yaw Opare on the Yensempa morning show on Onua FM, Mr Kojo Kum stressed that the fact that Mr Ayariga has filed the motion does not mean it has been accepted by the Speaker.

He said the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP knows right from the onset in the document he presented to the Speaker that filing the motion does not mean it would be accepted and debated upon on the floor of the august house.

He cited Article 11 of the 1992 Constitution on the Constitutional Instrument (CI) Act, which allows constitutional bodies like the EC and Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to submit regulations enhancing their activities for approval after going through the statutory number of days.

“I suspect it is a plan and premature for Honorable Ayariga to have filed a motion to reject the CI brought before us and I don’t see the basis of the rejection.”

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) explained that the CI has satisfied all the requirements in Parliament and it is not in conflict with any existing law hence describing the motion filed by the Bawku Central MP as baseless.

Background

Member of Parliament for Bawku Central Mahama Ayariga has filed a motion seeking to throw out a Constitutional Instrument from the EC for the compilation of a new voters’ register.

He is contending the elimination of birth certificate and the current voter ID cards as proof of nationality for the compilation of the new register is an affront to the Constitution, arguing there are fundamental flaws in the CI which threaten the democracy, peace, and stability of the country.

Comment on the elimination of birth certificate and current voter ID cards as proof of nationality for the compilation of the new register, Mr Kojo Kum said there is still the window of hope for people without those requirements to register and that is having people to guarantee on their behalves.

The legislator thus entreated the general public to reject impressions which tends to suggest the EC has the motive of disenfranchising people from registering.