Support EC's decision to use Ghana card as main source of identification for voters registration - Jean Mensa pleads

The chairperson of the electoral commission, Jean Mensa, has called on members of parliament to support the decision of the commission to use the Ghana Card as the main source of identification for registration of voters.

This, she says, is very important due to the evolving electoral process.

“Honourable members, it is in this vein we urge you to support the decision of the EC to rely on the Ghana card as the main source of identification for those who wish to register as voters. Our country has evolved, it is important that our electoral process evolves to meet the exigencies of times,” she said.

Jean Mensa was speaking during her appearance in parliament to brief the Committee of the whole on the controversial proposed Constitutional Instrument which is seeking to make the Ghana Card the only identification document to be used to guarantee citizenship if passed.

Jean Mensa’s appearance comes after the speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, summoned her to appear before the committee of the whole.

On Thursday, the special budget report on the Electoral Commission's CI was laid on the floor of parliament for the house to commence debate on the issue.

During the debate, the Chairperson of the Commission was absent but was represented by deputy commissioner, Dr. Bossman Asare.

However, the Speaker directed that the Chairperson herself appears before the house after the minority raised concerns over her absence.

The Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, believed that Jean Mensa was to be in the house to give the needed assurance that the new CI before parliament will not disenfranchise Ghanaians among others.

“Mr Speaker, unfortunately, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission is not here. I recognise Mr Speaker that Deputy is here, but it is not the same as the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission. As we speak, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission has consistently avoided parliament.

“We are of the view that we have raised today in this chamber since morning, as serious issues that we prefer and will want the Electoral Commissioner to be here to give us the needed assurances,” Dr. Ato Forson said.

Based on this argument, the Speaker said that the Chairperson herself needed to appear before the house to clarify some of the concerns that had been raised before the house.

YNA/DA