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22.03.2019 Diaspora (USA)

EC Should Tell Ghanaians The Modalities For ROPAA 2020

By NDC Professionals Forum International
EC Should Tell Ghanaians The Modalities For ROPAA 2020
22.03.2019 LISTEN

The NDC Professional Forum International - North America is concerned about the posture of the Electoral Commission in the implementation of ROPAA. We wish to put on record that we fully support our party’s position on the implementation of the law. ROPAA should be “Ghanaians everywhere, or nowhere”.

We are aware of the position of the EC because of a court ruling; however, there are still begging questions surrounding the operationalization of Act 699 in 2020 by the EC if not for other intent. We wish to reiterate that there are still unresolved issues to be addressed and would appreciate if the EC does a thorough job and come up with the modalities as required by the law with the implementation of the Act in the upcoming general elections.

As professionals leaving abroad and with our country Ghana at heart, we beg to ask the leadership of the EC if there is a credible register of all Ghanaians living in the diaspora already or is yet to compile one.

Again, does Ghana have missions in every country of the world and would it be prudent for the various missions to be used as polling stations? Is the mode of voting going to be based on physical presence or electronic? Will all Ghanaians in every corner of the world cast their ballot in their respective locality without traveling beyond 2 miles?

We have also noted that similar apprehensions have been raised at the various consultative meetings the EC has had with a cross-section of Ghanaians at home.

Some of these are whether or not the ROPAA could be implemented in the over 200 countries worldwide or in some selected countries, which could amount to disenfranchising Ghanaian citizens elsewhere. There is also the issue of modalities of knowing who a Ghanaian is and also in cases of dual citizenship.

Instead of the EC to come up with the modalities for implementing ‘ROPAA 2020’, the commission is still giving vain assurances with no clear direction and substance. We are expecting that the EC by now should have a clear idea of how ROPAA will be implemented and made known to Ghanaians at the stakeholder’s consultations.

We therefore wish to advise the EC to heed to the legitimate sentiments of Ghanaians and go back to court, explain their constraints, and buy time to implement Act 699 in future elections.

Sign.

Arnold Appiah – President

(NDC Pro-Forum North America)

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