A former national chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Peter Mac Manu has said the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) can't forestall the Electoral Commission's (EC) new Constitutional Instrument (CI) from being laid in Parliament.
The Electoral Commission is as of now encouraging Parliament to pass another CI which tries to make the Ghana Card the sole method for ID to register as a voter.
Be that as it may, the Minority Caucus is against the EC over guidelines set out in the CI.
As per the Minority Caucus in Parliament, the new CI, on the off chance that passed by the House, will disappoint numerous qualified electors.
Policy by tangent
Nonetheless, talking with Nana Yaa Mensah on Sunday Night on Asaase 99.5 in Accra, Mac Manu said: "Beginning around 1992 I have gone over different constitutional instruments from CI12 to the ongoing CI172. Each election there are new instruments brought to Parliament and they eventually become powerful for the running of that election …
"Quite a while back we began utilizing the guarant[or] system… and 30 years later, we ought to in any case go on a similar digression? Why? We don't develop as a country?"
Mac Manu said the Ghana Card stays "one of the surest ways to eliminating minors from the voters' register".
He said the Inter-Parties Advisory Committee (IPAC) has met three or multiple times on the issue of utilizing the Ghana Card as the sole personality card that can remain as proof of character in enrolling for an voter's ID card.
"IPAC has settled and consented to the utilization of the Ghana Card as the sole technique for distinguishing citizenship for enlistment purposes. What's more, at any IPAC meeting, the NDC are welcomed, however they have chosen not to come …
"I have followed established instruments from the Electoral Commission starting around 1992 and my straightforward information on the constitution is that when the CI is laid, it very well may be shortened by a 66% greater part [of MPs in Parliament].
"So to shorten it, they ought to assemble the 66% and proceed to shorten it, yet you can't keep the CI from being laid … " Macintosh Manu said.
He proceeded: "Each change that we [NPP] have brought into the appointive system to make the respectability high, they have would not acknowledge in any case when it is acknowledged everyone realizes carrying validity to our elections is going."
Clean voters' register
Macintosh Manu said there is a need to prevent minors from enlisting to cast a ballot in the nation and that "we should leave the assurance framework".
The EC seat, Jean Mensa, preparation the House on the proposed CI, said the move will work with the Commission's work in the 2024 general election.
She said the new CI will advance proceeded with registration of voters and take into account a throughout the entire year registration of qualified voters at EC district offices.
Mensa let Parliament know that the Ghana Card is just a necessity to register as a citizen and won't supplant the voter identification card.
"When you present your Ghana Card and effectively register as a citizen, you will be given a citizen's distinguishing proof card, which bears the code of your region, district, electoral area, and polling station," the EC seat said.
"Mr Speaker, I wish to emphasise that the Ghana Card doesn't have these highlights, in this way it won't be utilized to cast a ballot in the 2024 general election."