body-container-line-1

EC could have avoided current 'scuffle' over Voters' Register – Ramadan

By MyJoyOnline
Politics EC could have avoided current 'scuffle' over Voters' Register – Ramadan
JUN 24, 2016 LISTEN

A former National Youth Organiser of the People’s National Convention (PNC) says the Electoral Commission (EC) could have avoided the recent court cases concerning the Voters’ register if it had carried out the Supreme Court’s ruling given in 2014.

Abu Ramadan says nobody is interested in dragging the EC to court if it had followed through the Supreme Court’s directive to have National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) carders removed from the electoral roll.

“In 2014 when the ruling was given in the first Abu Ramadan suit challenging the use of Health Insurance, if the Commission had taken steps to clean the register, we won’t be where we are today,” he said.

On June 23, A five-member panel chaired by the Chief Justice, Georgina Wood heard a case brought before it by Abu Ramadan seeking clarification over the May 5, 2016 ruling of the Supreme Court’s ruling in which the court ordered the EC to take immediate steps to wean the voters' register of names of minors, ghost names, and registrants who used the NHIS card.

The EC had earlier read a different interpretation into the apex court’s ruling, saying it was not asked to delete NHIS carders from the the electoral roll.

This was enough to court the displeasure of Ramadan who filed another suit last week seeking clarification of the SC's ruling.

Hearing the case, Justice Georgina Wood could not believe the EC has refused to carry out the orders given it by the Supreme Court in the previous ruling.

She cautioned the Commission to refrain from acts that are likely to plunge the country into chaos.

Banging the gavel, she ordered the Commission to supply the court with the list of persons who registered with NHIS cards, and plans on how the names will be deleted as well as how to get them re-register before its next sitting on June 30.

Speaking to Joynews after the court’s sitting, Ramadan said the Commission had the power to avoid the disgrace it suffered in the court, but refused to do the right things.

According to him, “On the 30th May, we are hoping that the Commission would have met the requirement and they would have been able to file the list of NHIS carders.”

Hopeful of getting the right thing done, Ramadan said “I would expect them [EC] to give a detailed account of those who used the Health Insurance and who didn’t.”

He, however, cautioned the Commission against doing a shabby job in getting the SC’s directive carried out, noting “we would want to be crosschecking every document brought before the court by the Commission.”

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Austin Brako-Powers | Email: [email protected]

body-container-line