EC to issue new photo ID card for Elections 2004

The Electoral Commission (EC) on Thursday said a new photo identity card would be issued to all eligible person for the 2004 general election in order to cut down or eliminate completely impersonation.

Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, Chairman of the Commission, who stated this in Accra said based on the 2000 Population and Housing Census figure of 18.9 million Ghanaians, the voting age population comes to about 9.8 million, representing about 52 per cent of the total population, however, the current register contains about 11 million names representing 58 per cent.

"This suggests that our register, which was first done in 1995 is currently not in the best of shape," Dr Afari-Gyan stated at a roundtable discussion organised by the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) and sponsored by Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF) under the theme: "Preparations towards election 2004: Prospects and Challenges."

He said the process of replacing the voter's register would start from July and is likely to last for nine months provided adequate resources are made readily available.

Dr Afari-Gyan, however, indicated that the replacement and issuance of the new Photo I. D. Cards for the 2004 general election "boils down simply to the availability and timely release of the requisite funds."

On the issuance of National Identity Cards for voting in the 2004 general election, the EC Chairman said it was not feasible.

In a welcoming address, Professor Emmanuel Gyimah-Boadi, Executive Director of CDD Ghana, said the discussion, was the first of a series of programmes lined up by the Centre to support the effort of EC and other governance agencies to prepare for credible elections in 2004.

Prof. Gyimah-Boadi said the Centre considered Elections 2004 as significant as it would be the fourth consecutive elections under the Fourth Republic and be the first to be conducted under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.

This provides a democratic test to the government, the EC, Civil Society Organisations, the Media and other stakeholders to ensure another successful peaceful, transparent acceptable and credible elections.

A representative of FNF, Ms Majoree Beeko called for critical assessment of the electoral process to identify challenges and prospects for future elections.

Mr Justice V. C. R. A. C. Crabbe, former Supreme Court Judge and Commissioner, Statute Law Revision, chaired the discussion, which was attend by politicians, Electoral Officials, Media practitioners and other stakeholders in Ghana's electoral process including the donor community.

During the last general election a voter, Mr Philip Kwaku Apaloo of Kaneshie in Accra, filed a writ at the Supreme Court challenging the decision of the EC to allow only voters with photo ID cards in the presidential and parliamentary elections to vote.

He said in his suit that the decision was inconsistent with Article 42 of the Constitution, which states: "Every citizen of 18 years of age or above and of sound mind has the right to vote and is entitled to be registered as a voter for the purposes of public elections and referenda."

The court upheld his claim. The issue of identification of voters for the elections became thorny with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) threatening to go to court if voters with thumb-printed cards were not allowed to vote, whilst the New Patriotic Party (NPP), however, said that people without photo ID cards should not be allowed to vote.