Jean Mensa – EC Chairperson
Five political parties have filed a lawsuit against the Electoral Commission (EC) at the Supreme Court in response to the electoral management body’s decision to limit the upcoming limited voter registration exercise to its district offices around the country.
The political parties are the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Convention People’s Party (CPP), All People’s Congress (APC), Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) and the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP).
The parties have contended that the EC’s move to restrict the voter registration exercise to its district offices risks depriving many qualified voters of their right to vote in public elections.
The suit, filed by the NDC’s Director of Legal Affairs, Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe, seeks an interlocutory injunction to prevent the EC from carrying out the exercise until the substantive case is resolved.
The opposition parties want a declaration that, based on a true and proper interpretation of Articles 42 and 45 (a) and (e) of the 1992 Constitution, as well as Regulation 2 Sub-Regulation 2(a) and (b) and Regulation 30 (1) of the Public Elections (Registration of Voters) Regulations 2016 – C.I 91 (as amended by C.I 126), the EC, shall designate registration centres suitable and accessible to every eligible Ghanaian desirous to register as a voter.
They also seek for a declaration that the move by the EC violates the aforementioned provisions of the constitution, which will render the exercise null and void and of no legal effect.
According to them, the decision of the EC, if allowed, will result in voter suppression, particularly in rural constituencies of the country.
They are demanding an order directed at the EC to designate electoral areas in addition to its district offices as registration centres, and any other consequential orders the court may deem fit.
The EC recently announced a new voter registration exercise as part of its preparations for the 2023 District Level Elections, which will begin on Tuesday, September 12, 2023 and end on Monday, October 2, 2023.
Chairperson of the Commission, Jean Mensa, explained that the new registration exercise would allow Ghanaians who have reached the voting age of 18 years since the last registration in 2020, as well as others who are older but were unable to register during the 2020 registration for various reasons, to do so.
According to her, the exercise will be held between the hours of 8:00 am and 5:00 pm each day, including Saturdays and Sundays, adding that the registration exercise will take place in all the 268 District Offices of the Commission, including the Guan District.
By Ernest Kofi Adu