It will be difficult for EC to find a legal basis for rejecting old IDs - NDC

Deputy General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Boamah Otokunor has stated it would extremely difficult for the Electoral Commission (EC) to find the legal basis for refusing voter ID card as basis for registration for the new voters’ register.

Reacting to the order given to the EC by the Supreme Court, the deputy scribe of the NDC said the electoral has been badly exposed for their entrenched position and attempt to disenfranchise.

Mr. Otokunor told Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, that although it is not time for jubilation yet, the EC would not find a single law to support their action.

The Supreme Court has ordered the EC to file by 8th June, 2020 a comprehensive statement of case setting out the legal basis for excluding the existing voter’s ID for the new registration.

The NDC in March sued the EC over attempts to compile a new voter’s register for the 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections.

The NDC wants the court to make a ‘declaration that upon true interpretation of Article 45(a) of the 1992 Constitution, 2nd defendant [the EC] has the constitutional power, to and can, compile a register of voters only once, and thereafter revise it periodically, as may be determined by law. Accordingly, 2nd defendant can revise the existing register of voters, and lacks the power to prepare a fresh register of voters, for the conduct of the December 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections.’

Mr. Otokunor in his submission explained the EC’s would be exposed for failing to see reason with the arguments and suggestions given them on their quest to compile a new register.

He insisted the decision to compile a new register is unreasonable, useless and waste of state resources.