EC will implement the court order on the ROPAA – Bossman Asare

Policy of Friday, March 22, 2019

Source: ghananewsagency.org

2019-03-22

Dr. Bossman Asare, Deputy Commissioner of the Electoral Commission (EC), stated that the Electoral Commission (EC) would not challenge a court order ordering him to implement the Law on the Amendment of the Representation of the People (ROPAA) to allow Ghanaians residing abroad to vote in national elections.

He explained that "the court ordered the EC to prepare a constitutional instrument (CI) and submit it to Parliament within 12 months for the ROPAA to be operational in order to allow Ghanaians residing in the country to do so. to participate in national elections.

"We comply with the order, our mission is to gather your opinion and advice on the best way to implement the ROPAA, hence the need for broader consultations with stakeholders that will result in optimal and effective implementation of ROPAA, "said Dr. Asare.

An Accra High Court presided over by Judge Anthony Yeboah in 2017 had been pronounced in favor of five Ghanaians from the diaspora who sued the court to demand it. [EC] implement the ROPAA to vote in national elections.

Addressing the ROPAA consultative meeting in Wa, he indicated that the EC could not act within the 12-month ultimatum given by the court as it was facing elections in Manya Krobo district, in referendum on the creation of six new regions and other official functions.

Mr. Asare stated that the commission had requested an extension and that an additional 12 months had been granted to allow the EC to table a legislative instrument in Parliament for the implementation of the ROPAA.

Dr. Benjamin Kumbour, member of the ROPAA Advisory Committee, urged participants to make concrete suggestions for effective implementation of the law and urged them to put an end to the protracted arguments and convictions against each other. the others, which would delay the progress of the discussions and the effective implementation ROPAA.

He added that the decision of the High Court of 2017 had not only crossed the five Ghanaians who had sued the EC, but extended the right to vote to all other Ghanaians living in the diaspora, regardless of their geographical location. .

Abdul Shaqur Saeed, a participant, disagreed and suggested that the EC should take legal action to overturn the decision, saying "allowing Ghanaians to vote would cost the country a lot of money that could have been to be devoted to the improvement of other sectors in the economy, if the EC were to start piloting the ROPAA, it should start with the neighboring African countries before spreading to the European countries. "