The Minority in Parliament has resolved to oppose the Electoral Commission’s proposed Constitutional Instrument (CI) until the National Identification Authority (NIA) addresses challenges bedeviling the acquisition of Ghana Cards (EC).
The Commission wants to make the Ghana Card the sole identification document for voter registration for the 2024 elections.
The NDC caucus in parliament however, have warned that they will reject the CI after noting that the NIA must fix some pertinent issues.
The caucus was concerned that the EC’s new CI can disenfranchise some Ghanaians.
According to the Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson making the Ghana card the only means of voter registration “will negatively impact the electoral roll and deny some otherwise qualified persons from registering to vote. We cannot take assurances as the basis. Let the NIA resolve the challenges with the issuance of the Ghana card first. Until that, I am sorry, we can never be part of that.”
But the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, rebutted that the Minority lacks the authority to prevent the government from conducting business in the house.
“The Minority has given a strong indication that, if the issues they have raised are not attended to, they will oppose it and carry through with their opposition. I don’t know what he means by that. We are trying to build a consensus, but the bottom line is that, nobody in this house can prevent a government from presenting its business to the house.”
The NIA, after suspending printing of cards due to lack of funds, is set to print more Ghana cards as government has settled GH¢100 million debt owed creditors.