Our parents make us Ghanaians, not passports or Ghana cards – Bernard Mornah

Bernard Mornah, the spokesperson for the Interparty Resistance Against the compilation of a new voter register, has said the 1992 Constitution in article 6, spells out clearly as to who is a Ghanaian, which must not be ignored.

He said nothing makes citizens more Ghanaians than their birthright from their parents and that it was wrong for the EC to attempt compiling a register at a wrong time using an only passport and Ghana Card IDs as proof of citizenship.

He said it was not wrong for the EC to compile a register of any form but the autocratic criteria including timing with the tendency to deny a lot of Ghanaians their birth and Constitutional right to vote was a grave concern for well-meaning Ghanaians.

"We are completely against the EC to compile a new register but if they are adamant to listen to the wisdom of other civil society organisations who are also kicking against it for obvious reasons then they must make it possible for all Ghanaians to register", he explained.

Mr. Mornah who was speaking at Tumu Kuoro’s palace in Tumu at the weekend during a courtesy call to Kuoro Richard Babini Kanton VI said it was sad the EC was using criteria that will deny many people the right to vote.

Mr. Mornah who is also the National Chairman of the Peoples National Convention (PNC) claimed that the ruling NPP might suspect they will lose the 2020 elections if they do not temper with the voters register with the connivance of the EC to favour them.

He said the EC and the leadership of the NPP must think of Ghana first and either stop compiling a new register or make it possible for all to register by accepting the existing voter ID since Ghana was bigger than any political party.

Mr. Mornah said the closing of the countries borders due to the Covid-19 pandemic will further deprive many Ghanaians of the opportunity to participate in the registration process, which would deny them their fundamental human right to vote.

Other members of the group who accompanied Mr. Mornah included the Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress, Peter Boamah Otokunor, PNC Parliamentary Candidate for Sissala East Constituency, Mr Kingsley Kanton and other NDC big wigs in the Upper West region to canvass support against the compilation of the new voters register scheduled to commence June 30, 2020.