‘We accept and respect Supreme Court’s decision’ – EC

The Electoral Commission says it has accepted and will respect the decision of the Supreme Court in the compilation of a new voters’ register for the conduct of the December 2020 presidential and parliamentary election.

Attempts by the EC to undertake a new registration exercise towards a new register was challenged at the Supreme Court by the National Democratic Congress and one Mark Tekyi-Benson.

They wanted the court to order the EC to accept the current voters ID card and birth certificates as proof of citizenship in the registration exercise; a relief the Supreme Court rejected in its decision on Thursday, June 25.

“As a Commission which believes in the sanctity of the law, we respect the decision of the Supreme Court,” the EC said in a statement issued few hours after the court decision.

It said the EC is particularly being guided by the Court’s statement that “The Electoral Commission in exercising their discretion in the discharge of their constitutional mandate in cleaning the Voters Register should be deemed as authorized to be acting within the law and the regulations therein, and cannot be faulted even if it is considered that there is a more efficient mode or method available”.

It said in line with the apex court’s decision, the registration exercise will thus commence on June 30 to August 6, and has thus urged all to prepare to register to vote in the December 7, 2020, general elections.

“The commission entreats all its stakeholders to hold themselves in readiness for the voters registration exercise,” the statement signed by Acting Director of the Commission, Mrs Sylvia Annor said.

It has assured Ghanaians of strict compliance of Articles 42 and 45 of the 1992 constitution and the CI 126 as directed by the Court.

Per the CI 126, anyone applying to register shall provide either a passport or a National Identification card (Ghana Card), and in the absence of the two, must get two registered voters to guarantee for them.

The EC explained however that no registered voter can guarantee for more than 10 people.

“…a registered voter shall not guarantee the identity of more than 10 persons,” it said in the statement.

Meanwhile, the EC said it will ensure that persons who show up at the various registration centres to get their names on the electoral roll are protected from contracting the deadly coronavirus.

The Commission will enforce strict safety protocols at its registration centres across the country so as to protect applicants from the COVID-19 pandemic