Meet Richard, an officer of the Electoral Commission who cannot vote in the process for special categories of essential service providers designated as special voters.
The professional nurse and ‘part-time EC officer’ is disappointed. He told Joy News, that this is because of a last-minute change in the electoral rules.
Initially, he was informed during training for EC officers that he was to cast his ballot where he would officiate which is Adentan, he told Joy News’ Jennifer Akuamoah.
But his dutiful enthusiasm to work drained out of him when he was hit when news that he can work as an Electoral Officer but cannot vote in Adentan as an Electoral officer.
His name was not included on the list in Adentan. “We got here this morning and there has been a new development”.
“If you registered outside Adentan then you need to go to wherever you registered to go an cast your ballot for the special voting” he explained.
His name is on a list in the Upper Manya Krobo Asesewa area in the Eastern region which is where he originally registered.
‘Per what they are saying, my name has been added to the special voting list in the Eastern region’.
He tried to appeal to his supervisor to do something about his situation. “He said there is nothing they can do since my name is not part of the special voting list that they have here now”.
The reality of his disenfranchisement dawned on him, his disappointment was obvious.
“It cannot be possible. I can’t travel from here to Asesewa at this time to go and cast my ballot”.
Even worse, he won’t get a second chance to vote on December 7 when all other Ghanaian registered voters are expected to participate.
This is because Richard will have to be at work as an EC official, helping other Ghanaians to exercise their fundamental human right, a process which has incidentally denied him his own fundamental human right too.
Richard is in disbelief.
“I can’t vote.I can’t vote because I am an EC official on that day”, he repeated the line like a chorus in a Christmas carol.
“So they have disenfranchised me. I can’t exercise my franchise on December 7 which is bad” Richard’s confusion was complete.
-Myjoyonline