The National Peace Council has expressed support for the Electoral Commission’s (EC) decision to use the Ghana Card as the sole document for voter registration in future elections.
Initially, the EC’s proposal to use the Ghana Card exclusively faced opposition from key stakeholders due to difficulties in the issuance process by the National Identification Authority (NIA).
However, after a closed-door meeting with the EC to discuss matters related to the upcoming elections, Dr. Ernest Adu Gyamfi, Chairman of the National Peace Council, highlighted the shortcomings of the guarantor system, emphasizing the need for the Ghana Card.
Dr. Gyamfi noted that a significant portion of recent registrations, 63%, relied on the guarantor system, while only 39% used the Ghana Card.
He pointed out that this discrepancy can lead to issues such as busing people from different constituencies to register, which undermines the integrity of the electoral process.
In related news, Jean Mensah, Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to register all inmates who have turned 18 in various prisons as part of a mop-up exercise scheduled from August 1 to August 3, 2024.
This initiative aims to ensure that eligible citizens in all 268 district offices, including the newly created Guan constituencies, are registered. The EC will work closely with the Ghana Prisons Service to determine the number of inmates eligible for registration.
