Electoral Commission's Current Zeal To Implement ROPAA Is Welcoming

Jean Mensah, EC Boss

I have noted with great excitement the initiatives which are being put in place by the Electoral Commission (EC) under the leadership of the current EC Chairperson, Mrs Jean Adukwei Mensah toward the implementation of the Representation of the People Amendment Act (ROPAA).

Some of such initiatives by the EC is its ordering for a set up of a "ROPAA Working Group" which would be made up of representatives of registered political parties and civil society organisations (CSO). It has been learnt that the working group is to undertake nationwide consultations with other relevant parties, and it is to be tasked with the responsibility of defining the modalities, scope and timelines for the implementation of ROPAA.

The EC Chairperson as a result of the above should be commended for respecting the rights of Ghanaians living abroad, and also for timely heeding to the ruling by the High Court in December, 2017 after a group of Ghanaians living in USA sued the EC at a Ghana High Court in January, 2017 for its delay with the implementation of ROPAA since 2006.

Further more, the applicants who are all citizens of Ghana but living in USA must be appreciated for their bold decision to force the EC to implement ROPAA through the Court after its delay for almost twelve (12) years. Also political parties such as the New Patriotic Party (NPP), civil service organizations such as Critical Thinkers International (CTI) and other opinion leaders who have also been very loud for ROPAA's implementation must also be hailed.

The ROPAA law (Representation of the People (Amendment) ACT, 2006 [Act 699]) was passed by the Ghanaian parliament in 2006. The Act is to help give eligible Ghana citizens and dual citizens living abroad the opportunity to vote and through that rid them of any form of disenfranchisement to vote because of a location of their residence outside the boundaries of Ghana. The contributions of Ghanaians living abroad to the economy of the country is very huge, remittance alone is estimated around four billion dollars yearly.

Since there had been similar ROPAA implementation roadmaps which were put in place in 2007 and 2011 respectively by the EC under their respective Chairpersons, but had amounted to nothing, I hope the EC under its current new chairperson, Mrs Jean Mensah is not going to follow same status quo, but rather will be a one who will make ROPAA a reality to be witnessed by all during the 2020 general elections. In fact, I will do all it will take to see the fruition of ROPAA during the 2020 general elections. In addition, CTI under its policy and research committee made available some recommendations it believed could help with the smooth implementation of ROPAA in its article to the public titled "ROPAL IS A SATISFACTION OF A RIGHT AND NOT A FAVOUR" in 2016, I still find those recommendations very relevant so we will push to the appropriate quarters at the EC for consideration. Aside that, if there is any other help the EC will need from CTI to help make the implementation of ROPAA successful, it would be the group's utmost desire to help.

It is worthy to note that according to the International Electoral Knowledge Network, there are 115 countries in the world with 28 in Africa that have enabling laws for overseas voting, some of such countries in Africa who are either allowing their citizens abroad to vote in presidential elections or are piloting the system are Senegal, South Africa, Namibia, Niger, Cape Verde, Mozambique and South Sudan.

Thank you
Hhhmm, may God be praised always
Nana Kwadwo Akwaa
Member, Critical Thinkers International (CTI)