Ghana’s Electoral Commission (EC) is facing strong opposition from civil society organizations (CSOs) over its proposal to change the date of the 2024 general election from December 7 to November 7.
The CSOs, including Community Focus Foundation Ghana (CFF-Ghana), Democratic Credentials Network (DCN), and Coalition of Ghanaians without Ghana Card (CGWGC), held a joint press conference on Tuesday, February 6, to express their disapproval of the EC’s plan.
They argued that the EC’s rationale for the proposal, which is to allow more time for the transition of power, is not within its mandate and does not justify the alteration of the country’s electoral calendar.
EC must focus on its core mandate
The CSOs urged the EC to focus on its core mandate of conducting free and fair elections and leave the issue of transition of power to the presidency and parliament.
“Thus far, the EC’s argument for this proposal is based on transition of power. It’s worth noting that the mandate of the EC is not on the transition of power. The EC must focus on its mandate of conducting free and fair elections and leave transition of power to the presidency and parliament to deal with,” said Richard Kasu, the founder of CFF-Ghana, who read the statement on behalf of the CSOs.
The CSOs also called on the EC to give public assurance on issues of great national concern, such as the use of the Ghana Card as the sole document for voter registration, the non-usage of indelible ink, and the credibility of the biometric verification devices.
They warned that these issues could undermine the integrity and inclusiveness of the electoral process and create room for electoral violence.
Ghana Card as the sole document for voter registration
The CSOs expressed their strong objection to the EC’s intention to make the Ghana Card, issued by the National Identification Authority (NIA), the sole document for voter registration in 2024.
They said that this would disenfranchise millions of eligible voters who have not been able to obtain the Ghana Card due to the numerous challenges and irregularities that marred the NIA’s registration exercise.
Also, they cited the data from the EC, which showed that the guarantor system had the highest patronage during the 2023 limited registration exercise, with 61.9% of the registrants using it, followed by the Ghana Card with 37.8%, and the passport with 0.3%.
They argued that if the EC’s proposed constitutional instrument (CI) is passed in its current form, it would contravene the right of every Ghanaian citizen to vote as enshrined in Article 42 of the 1992 Constitution.
Non-usage of indelible ink will cause chaos
The CSOs also condemned the EC’s decision not to use the traditional indelible ink, which prevents multiple voting, in the upcoming 2024 elections.
They said that the EC’s claim that the non-usage of indelible ink was part of the measures to improve the electoral process and ensure a robust identification system was not convincing.
Moreover, they said that the non-usage of indelible ink would create opportunities for multiple voting and compromise the credibility of the election results.
They appealed to the EC to reconsider its decision and maintain the use of indelible ink as a safeguard against electoral fraud.
International partners must pay attention
The CSOs called on the international partners, including the European Union (EU) and other relevant election stakeholders, to pay attention every step of the way to ensure credible elections are held in Ghana.
They said that the EC’s proposals and actions could have serious implications for the country’s democracy and stability.
They urged the international community to support the CSOs and other actors in holding the EC accountable and ensuring that the electoral process is transparent, fair, and peaceful.
The CSOs expressed their hope that the EC would listen to the voice of reason and the concerns of the people and act in the best interest of the nation.
Source: Modern Ghana
