Ocquaye wants Electoral Offences Act

A prominent and senior member of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) Prof Mike Ocquaye has called on the Electoral Commission to introduce an Electoral Offences Act to check and control fraud during registration exercises.

According to him, the law, when introduced, will deter minors and foreigners from attempting to register.

Speaking on the Executive Breakfast Show (EBS) on Class 91.3fm Friday, May 6, Prof Ocquaye told host Prince Minkah that it will take a week for drafters to put together such an Act to be forwarded to parliament.

“The EC can put together a few drafters, the experts who are Ghanaians, to put together a law … within a week and it will be passed in parliament.

“It is important to let criminals (and it doesn’t matter which party they come from) realise that there is danger ahead… and those offences will put those, who try, in jail for five years. People will look before they leap”, the former second deputy speaker said.

Meanwhile, Prof Ocquaye has expressed delight at the Supreme Court’s recent directive to the EC to expunge the names of minors, dead people as well as people who registered with health insurance cards, from the register.

“I want to congratulate the Supreme Court for dealing with the law and I will ask them, please under the 1992 constitution you are referees, you are adjudicators, we cannot live in a country where there is no final arbiter in controversies, people will take the law into their own hands,” he said, adding: “The moment that people know that the law will talk, there will be law and order in this country.

Therefore, the Supreme Court must know that it has a duty to pronounce effectively, competently and conclusively on all matters of controversy in this republic, when that happens, every person, body, authority will fall in line”.