EC denies ¢500 billion ROPAL budget

The Electoral Commission has denied reports that it has a budget of over ¢500 billion for the implementation of the Representation of the People’s Amendment Law.

The Daily Dispatch newspaper on Tuesday said the EC was considering a tentative budget of ¢522 billion for the implementation of the law that allows Ghanaians abroad to vote.

But the Commission says it presently does not have the basis and cannot put a figure on how much it will cost to implement the law.

The EC’s Director of Human Resource, Samuel York-Aidoo however said the Commission was working with a budget, earmarked for the first step of a study tour to hold consultations ahead of the implementation.

He however could not say how many of the study tours the Commission intended to make and also when the law would be implemented.

Three US-based Ghanaians have sued the Commission and the Attorney General to get them to implement the law.

On a recent trip to Belgium, President Kufuor is quoted to have told the Ghanaian community there that they may not be able to exercise their franchise during the 2008 elections, citing the absence of the national ID cards and other structural difficulties.