UE/R: EC MUST SUSPEND the compilation of the Register till all citizens of Upper East Region have, in our hands, the Ghana Cards and Passport – CSOs
The civil society organisations in the Upper East Region have called on the Electoral commission to SUSPEND the compilation of the new voter register until all qualified voters in the Upper East Region have obtained the Ghana card or the passport which are the only legal requirement for one to register as a voter to vote in the upcoming 2020 parliamentary and presidential elections.
The group at a press conference at the SSNIT conference hall in Bolgatanga, the regional capital of the upper east region, said the electoral commission must suspend the exercise to save the people of the region the trouble and frustration of going round to find people to vouch for them in the registration process.
” the Electoral Commission (EC) MUST SUSPEND the compilation of the Register till all citizens especially the good people of Upper East Region have, in our hands, the Ghana Cards and probably the Passports to enable us register for the new Voter Card without having the trouble and frustration of going round to find people to vouch for us in the registration process.”
The group said available data, facts and figures suggest that if the EC proceeds with the compilation of the new register with the current requirements, the already under developed upper east region will be greatly disadvantaged, compromised and short-changed when it comes to development especially that government conceder’s the population of an area when allocating development projects
“this position of ours is very much informed by credible and verifiable source of data, facts and figures that strongly suggest that the development of the Upper East Region and Northern Ghana will be greatly compromised, disadvantaged and short-changed by the planned actions of the EC should voter population of an area at any point in time becomes the basis, criteria and determining factor for national resource allocation, political appointments, creation of additional polling stations, constituencies, districts and regions by any government or policy maker”.
Speaking to specific data , the group said the Ghana statistical service projects the population of the Upper East Region 18 years above to be 721,702. The NIA however could only register a total of 220,000 for the Ghana card of which only 13,200 people representing just 6% had their cards issued to them.
“it is important to share with you and the good people of Ghana that the total population of the Upper East Region aged 18 and above as at May, 2020, according to estimated and projected figures from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) stood at 721,702.
Also, a source from the National Identification Authority (NIA) indicates that, in the Upper East Region, a total of 220,000 people were registered for the Ghana Card of which only 13,200 representing just 6% had their cards issued to them.”
“The Press, this, as a matter of fact, makes it abundantly clear that more than 695,291 (721,702–13,200) will have very serious challenges getting to register for the new Voter Card to exercise their constitutionally guaranteed right to vote.”
The CSOs in the Upper East Region cautioned the Electoral Commission to demonstrate more responsiveness and accountability to the Ghanaian people by giving a listening ear to its concerns.
The group said it will not sit on the fence and allow the EC to engage in actions that are very detrimental to the political, social and economic well-being of the region through actions of systemic exclusions and systematic marginalization.
“As a people in a deprived region and fully conscious of the effect of voters population of an area on policy decision-making, we wish to assure the EC that we will not sit on the fence and allow it to engage in actions that are very detrimental to our political, social and economic well-being through actions of systemic exclusions and systematic marginalization of our region.”
“We will therefore not hesitate to embark on series of constitutionally guaranteed and democratically supported civil actions including public protest if the EC fails to listen to the voices of the ordinary citizens from the upper east region.”
Speaking on the sidelines, Mr. Ayine Akolgo of WITTY MINDS FOUNDATION said the vouching system will not be the best for the region because it has the tendency to disenfranchise a whole community and households who could not register for the Ghana card and have no passport.
” If you look at the Upper East Region, from the number that have their cards and the those that don’t have you will realise that it is possible that there are whole communities that don’t have a single member with a card. So if you want to rely on others vouching for those who don’t have the card to be able to register, at the end of the day it will mean that people will try travel to other communities to get people to their communities to vouch for them and that is going to be very difficult.”
The CSOs include NORPRA, BONABOTO, DRAC, Witty Minds Foundation, WOM, and TEERE
Source: Simon Agana