Voter’s register has non-Ghanaians - Kufuor backs new register

Former President, John Agyekum Kufuor has thrown his weight behind the compilation of a new voter’s register for the 2020 general elections in December.

The former president claimed most people on the register used foul means to get their voters identification cards (ID) and that does not make the voters register clean.

The debate on the compilation of a new voter’s register ahead of the December elections has seen the various actors taking entrenched positions, with most opposition political parties kicking against it.

Speaking on the issue on Onua TV’s Maakye on Wednesday, jointly hosted by Bright Kwasi Asempa, Anokyewaaba Serwaa and Adwoa Konadu-Yiadom, former President Kufuor said in Twi that “we agree that some people are not Ghanaians but they are on the voter’s register. We should do it again because it is not good”.

He added, “there are so many people now on the voters register and I agree to the new voter’s register. If we get a clean register to vote, it will help”.

He noted that the register still contains names of persons who registered with NHIS cards and drivers’ licence despite a Supreme Court’s directive to get those names expunged. He noted that these two cards can be obtained by anyone including foreigners.

The former president pointed out, “some might have used dubious ways to get the ID. Some are not citizens but they have used means to get the ID and as such non-citizens have gotten the right to vote”.

Mandate of EC

He explained that Ghana is governed by the 1992 Constitution and the Constitution gives EC the mandate to manage elections in Ghana.

If they have realized we should do a new one, we have to do a new one, he said. He therefore advised persons opposed to the idea “to go to court and not take the laws into their hands”.

Advice to opposition parties

Former President Kufuor noted that about a year ago, various opposition political parties visited him in his house with a petition to prevail on the EC to halt the compilation of a new voter’s register.

“They came to my house somewhere last year. The NDC Chairman, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, PNC National Chairman, Bernard Mornah was their spokesperson, Peter Boamah Otukonor and Gyataba, came and said they will not agree to the compilation of the new voter’s register”.

“But I told them they are Ghanaians and what the law says is for the EC to manage elections so if they are not in favour, they should go to the Supreme Court for the law court to decide”.

Protest after petitioning Supreme Court

The former President said the NDC and other political parties have done well by taken the issue up with the Supreme Court but the protest after the Supreme Court should stop.

“If they have gone to court, they should stop the protest and wait for what the court will say”.

He noted that “if they have gone to court and they are still protesting, then it means they are protesting against the Supreme Court and it is not good”.

Social media video

Commenting on a social media video in which he asked the EC to include the old voters ID as requirements for the yet to be compiled register, the former President suggested that the interview was granted years ago but felt the register has now been compromised.

“That video is an old video. It was two year or three years ago. The NIA came into my house for the registration and during the interview I said that,” he explained.