Ghana’s Electoral Commission (EC) is finally ready to press on with the highly controversial new voters’ registration exercise in the last week of June, despite the Covid-19 pandemic.
Over 33,000 registration centers will host would-be voters and staff as the Commission deploys mobile health teams empowered to detect and remove suspected Covid-19 cases at the centers.
A pilot exercise is slated for next week while the main registration is expected to start in late June till July, the Commission said at a meeting attended by political parties except the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
“We also announced to them the protocols we have put in place to ensure that the voting will be very secure and safe,” a Deputy Commissioner Dr Bossman Asare, told reporters, adding that: “It is going to take place at all the 33,367 registration centers.”
Covid-19 protocols
The Commission has also given an indication of the safety protocols ahead of the exercise.
Among other things, it will be mandatory to wear face masks at the registration centres, people’s temperature will be checked before one is allowed into the registration centre and there will be running water available for handwashing.
Queues are to have one-metre gaps between persons lining up to register, the scanners will be sanitised and persons who complete the registration process will also be provided with hand sanitiser before they leave the centre.
Minority MPs want Constitutional Instrument withdrawn
There is, however, uncertainty if a laid Constitutional Instrument (CI) before the country’s Parliament will meet the 21-day maturity amid fierce rejection by opposition MPs.
NDC MP for Bawku Central Mahama Ayariga has on behalf of the Minority filed a motion in Parliament seeking that the House rejects the Constitutional Instrument that will allow the EC to register new voters based on a new set of rules.
The new C.I. if passed by parliament will remove the voter’s ID card as a registration document for a new voter ID card but allow for the use of the Ghana Card.
The C.I. needs 21 continuous sitting days to mature and today is day 10. The notice of motion filed by Mr. Ayariga is asking the house to reject the Public Elections (Registration of Voters) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 C.I. 126, even before the Subsidiary Legislation Committee submits a report on the C.I. to the floor.
The notice of motion was submitted to the speaker’s office on 19th May of which the speaker is expected to fix a date on which Mr. Ayariga will be given the opportunity to move the motion on the floor and back his request with reasons.
After that, MPs will debate the motion after which it will be voted on. If majority of MPs vote in favour of the motion, Mr. Ayariga’s request for a rejection will stand.
If the majority of MPs vote against it, the request fails. It’s unclear when the speaker will give Mr Ayariga the opportunity to file the motion on the floor.
By Jonathan Ofori, Daily Mail GH
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