Guarantee for only people you know – EC tells Ghanaians

The Electoral Commission (EC) has told Ghanaians who are registering for the voters ID card to only guarantee for applicants they know.

A Deputy Chair in charge of Corporate Service, Dr Bossman Eric Asare said “If it turns out that the applicant you guarantee for is not qualified, the guarantor will be held accountable including; prosecution.”

An eligible voter needs a passport or Ghana card to be allowed to register. If you do not have any of the two documents you will need two people who have received their voter’s ID card to guarantee for you.

On the form, there is a column that demands the guarantor to state his/her relationship with the person being guaranteed for. One of the options is 'other'.

When asked why there was the ‘other’ option Dr Bossman Eric Asare said “the ‘Other’ is indicated because we cannot write all the possible relations of applicants. So the Commission expects that anyone guaranteeing who is not a parent or sibling will indicate the kind of relation such as uncle, teacher, and supervisor, among others. In essence, you must know people before you guarantee for them.”

He also entreated eligible applicants to desist from giving their cards or telephone numbers to political party agents.

Dr Asare argued that the fact that the two main political party agents had decided to take details at the registration centres did not make it compulsory for individual applicants to give them their cards.