Go Out And Register For Voter’s ID Card – PNC Charge Qualified Ghanaians

PNC Chairman Bernard Mornah

The People’s National Party (PNC) has charged Ghanaians to take possession of their right by registering for the voter ID card.

This is coming on the back of a Supreme Court Ruling last week which handed the Electoral Commission the go-ahead to compile a new voter register while giving a clean bill of health to CI 126.

The ruling ultimately means that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has failed in its quest to have the EC include the National ID Card in the list of primary requirements for upcoming registration.

In a statement from the PNC, they have stressed that the ruling empowers the EC to deny scores of Ghanaians the opportunity to get registered and to subsequently exercise their inalienable right to vote.

Despite expressing disappointment, the part has called on the citizenry to ensure they get registered.

“….as a law-abiding political party, we use the opportunity of this statement to implore and call on all Ghanaians especially those disappointed by the posture of the Electoral Commission and the Akufo Addo government to go out in their numbers to register for the new Voter ID Card.

“This surely is the only way by which this vindictive and wasteful government can be stopped in its tracks by being voted out on 7th December 2020”, a portion of a press statement signed by National Chairman Bernard Mornah has said.

Read the full statement from PNC below:
For Immediate Release
TAKE POSSESSION OF YOUR RIGHT BY REGISTERING

The Supreme Court of our land delivered a verdict on the matter brought before it by the National Democratic Congress and one other private citizen concerning CI 126 which is the new law governing and regulating the conduct of public elections in Ghana. The CI makes provision for only the Ghana Passport or the NIA Card as the only means of proof of citizenship and eligibility for registration as a Voter.

The Plaintiffs sought a number of reliefs from the Apex Court. Key among the reliefs was to allow for the Existing Voter ID Card to be included as a proof of eligibility for registration as a Voter considering the fact that this ID Card is the most accessible, readily available and widely-possessed card by majority of the people of Ghana.

Unfortunately, this relief was denied by the Supreme Court giving a clean bill of health to CI 126 to be used for the conduct of the new Voter Registration Exercise. This ruling by the Supreme Court in our opinion seeks to give authority to the Electoral Commission to subtly roll out an exercise that would deny scores of Ghanaians the opportunity to get registered and to subsequently exercise their inalienable right to vote.

As a political party that believes in inclusive and participatory democracy, we are appalled by this ruling which clearly has sharply divided the Ghanaian people. The PNC is so much concerned about the controversy and confusion that this ruling has created even among the best of legal brains.

This disappointment notwithstanding, as a law-abiding political party, we use the opportunity of this statement to implore and call on all Ghanaians especially those disappointed by the posture of the Electoral Commission and the Akufo Addo government to go out in their numbers to register for the new Voter ID Card. This surely is the only way by which this vindictive and wasteful government can be stopped in its tracks by being voted out on 7th December, 2020.

…. Signed….
Bernard Mornah
(National Chairman)