Voter registration: Guarantor system most abused, needs brainstorming – CDD-Ghana

The Center for Democratic Development – CDD-Ghana says the guarantor system for voter registration is the most abused and needs brainstorming to get it done properly.

This comes on the back of Parliament’s rejection of the Electoral Commission’s CI seeking to make the Ghana card sole document for voter registration.

Parliament last week rejected the Public Elections (Registration of Voters) Regulations, 2023, directing the EC to present a new one with a guarantor system reinstated.

In presenting the report to the committee of the whole on the draft CI on behalf of the speaker first deputy speaker Joseph Osei-Owusu urged parliament to officially communicate to the EC the house’s decision for favorable consideration before finalization and presentation of the new CI to parliament for passage into law.

Speaking on Starr Today with Joshua Kodjo Mensah, Senior Programmes Officer with CDD-Ghana, Paul Aborampa called on the Electoral Commission to engage in consultation in order to have the best form of voter registration.

“We already have recommendations on this, in fact it’s the most abused system of all the registration qualifications to register. In fact when you review the previous CODEO post-election report that is where we want the Electoral Commission to look at. But apart from the guarantor system what other system can we add before we wait for most Ghanaians to acquire the NIA card.

“So it is something the Electoral Commission brings must on the table and engages all of us to brainstorm. When we were going for the guarantor system that one person could guarantee for five people and reduce to three still it was being abused. If we are going to use that what can we do so as to improve it a bit if that is the last thing that we are going to use? Because according to Parliament most people cannot access the Ghana card before the registration so they have to rethink on that decision,” Mr. Aborampa stated.

He continued: “So in a session for brainstorming, the Electoral Commission can consult so that all of can engage. You know the election is all about consensus, the NPP, NDC and media should come around the table and see that this is the challenge.”