Dr. John Osae Kwapong, a governance expert and Center for Democratic Development (CDD) Fellow has expressed concern over the Electoral Commission’s detection of over 7000 instances of suspected foreign nationals, minors, and individuals with suspicious residency status during the ongoing Limited Voter Registration exercise.
He noted that the foundation of a free and fair election and a trustworthy electoral system lies in the integrity of the Voter’s Register, emphasizing that the accuracy and reliability of the register are crucial to ensuring public confidence and trust in the electoral process.
“And so when the EC is saying this number of persons that are being challenged on the basis of those three things, minus foreigners and residency status, I think it is very concerning. I hope that at the same time, the process is such that it will be able to really establish that these are truly individuals who are not supposed to be on our register”.
Dr. John Osae Kwapong
Furthermore, he cautioned the EC against accidentally disenfranchising eligible voters by withholding registration from individuals suspected of falling under categories such as foreigners or minors, emphasizing the importance of careful consideration to avoid unjustly depriving citizens of their right to vote.
As such he expressed optimism that the EC’s administrative procedures for verifying the eligibility of individuals facing challenges would effectively resolve the issue and ensure that only eligible voters are registered.
“Again, we want a Voter’s Register we can all vouch for so that there will not be any questions about who is voting and who is not voting come 7th December”. – Dr. John Osae Kwapong
Moreover, Dr. Osae Kwapong warned that failing to adequately address the issue would lead to the Voter’s Register being compromised by individuals who shouldn’t be on it, undermining the register’s integrity and potentially tainting the outcome of the upcoming election.
He also warned that if the EC fails to promptly address the issue, it may unintentionally deprive legitimate Ghanaian citizens of their constitutional right to vote by excluding them from the Voter’s Register, thereby disenfranchising them.
“So you want to make sure that the process is timely, the process is expeditious so that between now and whenever, all of these challenges are resolved”. – Dr. John Osae Kwapong
CODEO Notes Improvement in Voter Registration Process
Furthermore, Gilfred Asiamah, Team Lead for Elections, Anti-Corruption, and Rule of Law at CODEO, observed that while the EC faced initial hurdles at the onset of the registration exercise, the process has subsequently progressed relatively seamlessly in recent days.
However, Gilfred Asiamah noted that despite the improved registration process, political parties continue to lodge numerous complaints, primarily concerning the registration of minors and non-resident voters, which remains a contentious issue.
Moreover, he emphasized that the Electoral Commission’s responsibility is to facilitate a smooth registration process, indicating that the Commission cannot deny any eligible citizen the right to register, regardless of whether political party agents dispute their eligibility.
“They only facilitate the [registration] process and also facilitate the process leading to the work of the District Registration Review Committee. So I think the Commission doesn’t have much to do with that process. I have realized, going to the field, that sometimes the party agents also challenge people based on the answers that they give…when they realize that their answers are not adding up”.
Gilfred Asiamah
Likewise, while he acknowledged that the National Identification Authority should have distributed Ghana Cards in certain areas earlier than they are currently doing, he expressed no objection to the issuance of the cards to support the registration process, recognizing its utility in facilitating the exercise.
However, he maintained that earlier issuance of Ghana Cards by the NIA would have reduced the need for the guarantor system, which is a concern as it enables people to be registered with the endorsement of individuals who may not know them, creating potential vulnerabilities in the process.
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