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Afari-Gyan advises the EC not to abolish the guarantor system

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Afari-Gyan advises the EC not to abolish the guarantor system

Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, a former Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC), has criticised the commission for abandoning the guarantor system for the continuous voter registration exercise.

In an exclusive statement to the Daily Graphic, he said the EC’s claim that the guarantor system was ineffective and that the Ghana Card should be the sole means of registration was untenable.

According to Dr Afari-Gyan, since the National Identification Authority (NIA) permitted the guarantor regime in the registration for the Ghana Card, nothing prevented the EC from doing the same for the voter registration exercise and making the system as robust as it desired.

“What prevents the commission from instituting, in the upcoming constitutional instrument (CI), a guarantor regime as robust as or even more robust than the one being used by the NIA for doing the Ghana Card?” he queried.

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Afari-Gyan advises the EC not to abolish the guarantor system

Guarantor system

In accordance with Article 11 (7) of the 1992 Constitution, the EC intends to present a CI to Parliament to govern the continuous voter registration process.

According to the article, the CI, which seeks to make the Ghana Card the sole identification document for the exercise and the only means of registration, will enter into force after 21 sitting days unless the house annuls it by a vote of not less than two-thirds of all Members of Parliament (MPs).

As part of the pre-layout of the CI, the Chairperson of the EC, Jean Adukwei Mensa, told Parliament last month that the Ghana Card, as the sole registration document, would ensure that only eligible Ghanaians registered.

According to her, such a move would provide the country with a credible voter roll and improve the electoral process. The EC chief stated that the guarantor system was abandoned because it was prone to abuse, undermining the credibility of the electoral roll.

“The challenges with the guarantor system are that it opens the door for registered voters or guarantor contractors to guarantee/vouch for persons who are less than 18 years and it allows the guarantors to vouch for foreigners. Such unqualified persons used the door of the guarantor system to try to get onto the register.

“Truth be told, the guarantor system was not the best under any circumstances, but we did not have other options, since a significant number of people did not possess the Ghana Card at the time. Even, then, we had 10 million Ghanaians using the Ghana Card to back their citizenship at the time of registration,” she said.

Criticisms

Dr Afari-Gyan is not the only one who has criticised the EC’s proposed CI.

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD), a civil society organisation, have criticised the CI, particularly the EC’s decision to scrap the guarantor system, which previously allowed a registered voter to vouch for the citizenship of another person seeking to register.

The NDC has called the CI “obnoxious and a threat to the country’s democracy,” and has directed its MPs not to leave Parliament to fight the proposed law.

According to the CDD, eliminating the guarantor system would make it extremely difficult for many Ghanaians to register, ultimately infringing on their constitutional right to vote.

“The current CI 126 allows for a guarantor to guarantee for up to five people; this can be reduced to three,” it said.

Citizenship

Dr. Afari-Gyan, the EC’s longest-serving Chairperson, reiterated his criticism of the use of the Ghana Card as the sole source document for the registration process.

In an earlier statement to the Daily Graphic in August last year, he stated that making the Ghana Card the sole identification document would disenfranchise millions of qualified Ghanaians and that the EC’s move was therefore contrary to electoral inclusivity, fairness, and justice.

In his new critique, he stated that he was not opposed to the use of the Ghana Card and did not disagree with the EC that the Ghana Card was very important and would help to clean up the electoral roll.

“I think that it is grossly unfair and misleading to try to create the impression that the debate over whether or not, as of now, the Ghana Card should be the only basis for a Ghanaian citizen to be registered as a voter revolves wholly around how useful the card is. I have not heard anybody saying that the Ghana Card is not a good thing to have or use,” he said.

According to him, his disagreement stemmed from the EC’s gradual adoption of the Ghana Card as the sole means of citizenship, which is required to register as a voter.

His contention was that the Ghana Card did not bestow citizenship but rather validated that citizenship; thus, making the Ghana Card the sole means of registration meant the EC was attempting to define those without the card as not citizens of Ghana eligible to vote.

“In my view, as of now, it cannot be reasonably assumed that every Ghanaian of voting age has the Ghana Card, or can get one well ahead of the next elections,” he said.

“In fact, given that even under continuous registration there is a cut-off period, during which time one can register as a voter but cannot vote in the following election, I think it is far too early yet to make a fetish of Ghana Card as the only basis for registering a Ghanaian citizen as a voter,” Dr Afari-Gyan averred.

Source: graphic.com.gh

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If Akufo-Addo does not sign the anti-LGBT Bill, it will be politically suicide – Sam George

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If Akufo-Addo does not sign the anti-LGBT Bill, it will be politically suicide - Sam George

Samuel Nartey George, Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo Prampram, says it would be politically suicidal for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo not to sign the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill after Parliament passes it.

According to the MP, if the President does not assent to the bill, also known as the Promotion of Proper Sexual Human Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, two-thirds of members of Parliament must vote in favour of the bill in order for it to become law.

Samuel George, speaking on Eyewitness News, stated that failure to approve the bill would be an indictment on the government.

“The President will be requested by Parliament to sign the bill into law. It will be politically suicidal, and it will mark the sound of a dead mill on his abysmal government if he said he was not going to sign that bill into law. That will be the beginning of the collapse of his government and his legacy. And so I don’t want to have that thought because I think that his advisers and handlers will advise him accordingly,” the Ningo Prampram MP said.

During a joint press conference with US Vice President Kamala Harris at the Jubilee House on Monday, President Akufo-Addo revealed that his government intervened to modify the current anti-LGBTQ Bill.

Kamala Harris also attempted to dismiss Ghana’s efforts to pass an anti-LGBTQ bill.

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, was outraged by the comments and called Akufo-Addo and Kamala Harris undemocratic.

“As the Vice President of the USA, Kamala Harris did yesterday, these things should not be tolerated, that is undemocratic. What is democracy? That someone should have to dictate to me what is good and what is bad? Unheard of, because we have decided to devalue ourselves and go begging? Come on, we have more than enough. God has created more than enough for every person, the Bill will be passed,” Bagbin added.

Source: citinewsroom.com

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Mahama and three other NDC flagbearer candidates to be vetted next week

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Mahama and three other NDC flagbearer candidates to be vetted next week

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) says it is preparing for the vetting of its flagbearer candidates, which is scheduled for March 28-29 in Accra.

During a press conference on Thursday, the party’s election committee led by Kakra Essamuah revealed this.

“I think this has been a wonderful experience. They came to file their nominations, and you can see that it was an exciting ceremony. The next step is the vetting; the presidential will take place on Tuesday, and the parliamentary vetting will be the next two weeks, probably the first week of April. We are working towards that,” he said.

A vetting committee will question the four candidates’ qualifications, ideologies, and party vision.

Once the committee completes its vetting, the aspirants may or may not appear on the ballot box on the day of the primaries, May 13, 2023.

The elections committee also stated that plans are still being made to hold elections in the 27 constituencies that were put on hold due to the opening of nominations for parliamentary primaries.

The NDC has closed the nomination period for all flagbearer candidates seeking to lead the party.

Former President John Dramani Mahama, former Finance Minister Dr Kwabena Duffuor, former Kumasi Mayor Kojo Bonsu, and businessman Ernest Kwaku Kobeah are the four aspirants who have successfully filed their nominations.

Source: citinewsroom.com

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Mahama submits nomination form to run for NDC flagbearer

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Mahama submits nomination form to run for NDC flagbearer

Former President John Dramani Mahama has officially filed his nomination form to run for the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress.

His forms were submitted on his behalf by a team led by Professor Joshua Alabi, the NDC’s Campaign Manager for the 2020 general elections.

While filling out the forms, Prof. Alabi urged NDC delegates to give John Dramani Mahama their full support as the party’s flagbearer.

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Mahama submits nomination form to run for NDC flagbearer

Speaking to the media after the exercise, Prof. Joshua Alabi stressed that “Our party is firmly united behind John Dramani Mahama. 2024 will not be easy, but everyone and the country keep saying that the NDC is returning, but you know, if you don’t protect what belongs to you, the thief will come for it, so we are not going to sleep even though the general belief is that the NDC is returning.”

“We will work hard to ensure a one-touch victory,” Mr Alabi assured.

Former Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Kwabena Duffuor, Ernest Krobeah Asante, and Kojo Bonsu are also running.

Source: citinewsroom.com

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