Afari-Gyan tells Jean Mensa-led EC not to abolish guarantor system

Former Chairman of Ghana's Electoral Commission (EC), Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan has beseeched on the Electoral Commission led by Jean Mensa not to abolish the guarantor system for the voter registration process.

Ms. Jean Adukwei Mensa, Chairperson of the EC presented to Parliament a proposed Constitutional Instrument (CI) to make the Ghana Card the sole document for voter registration.

Ms. Mensa informed Parliament's Committee that, contrary to the Minority's concerns, the planned CI would strengthen the integrity of Ghana's voter registration. She maintained that the present draft CI, with its provisions, including the use of the Ghana Card as the sole means of voter identification, is still essential to Ghana's voting process.

At a presentation to parliament on the draft CI's status, she stated that the proposal aims to promote ongoing registration of new voters while also purging the electoral system of ineligible individuals.

But Dr. Dominic Ayine, Chairman of the Subsidiary Legislation Committee, claimed that there is no need for a new CI because the one used for 2020 registration is still highly effective.

In reaction, Dr. Afari Gyan indicated that instead of abolishing the guarantor system, it should be made better.

He noted that since the National Identification Authority (NIA) permitted the guarantor system in the registration for the Ghana Card, nothing prohibited the EC from doing the same for the voter registration process and making the system as solid as it desired.

"What prevents the commission from instituting, in the upcoming constitutional instrument (CI), a guarantor regime as robust as or even more robust than the one being used by the NIA for doing the Ghana Card?" he questioned.