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By Francis Ameyibor, RNG
Accra, April 15, GNA – Elections
Act on the Representation of Peoples by the Commission (EC) (ROPAA)
The Advisory and Implementation Committee on Monday urged stakeholders
the diaspora to think about the roadmap to make the law operational.
Dr. Akwasi Awua Ababio, Director of the Diaspora
Foreign Affairs, Office of the President, who led the delegation, badured the commission
and the EC that the diaspora community is ready to support and play a vital role
for the implementation of the ROPAA.
"The diaspora community through its
The badociation will develop and present a tangible position paper on the
law enforcement, "Ababio said in Accra.
Other members of the diaspora community
Prince O. Sefah, Mr. Kofi B. Oppong, Mr. Matthew Kyeremeh and Mr.
Richard Ahiagbor.
Dr Bossman Eric Asare, Vice-President of the EC,
responsible for business services, who also serves as president of the
Committee, explained that the law attributes to the EC the responsibility for
regulate the implementation of the ROPAA.
"In complying with the obligation imposed by
Act, the Commission has established a subcommittee to make recommendations on the
The best that the ROPAA can be implemented, "he said.
He said that the law requires citizens to be
registered as an elector while he resides abroad and is outside the jurisdiction
from Ghana and do so from / at their place of residence abroad or designated
centers near their places of residence abroad or from / to Ghana
Mission / Embbady in their jurisdiction abroad.
The law also states that voters must
Identity cards allowing them to vote in public elections and referendums
are issued to them when they reside abroad and are outside the jurisdiction of
Ghana at the time of such elections.
In response to the questions raised, a member of the
ROPAA Implementation Committee, Reverend Ernest Adu-Gyamfi of the
National Peace Council, stated that the committee was aware of the fact that it
could be people abroad who call themselves Ghanaians but who were in
does not Ghanaian citizens.
"We would therefore take great care to ensure that
non-Ghanaians will not participate in our elections, to this end the Committee
recommend to anyone who shows up at a registration center abroad to register
as a voter, he has to show proof of his citizenship, "he said.
On the authenticity of the residence permit,
stated that the registrars may not be able to determine the
the authenticity of the residence permit, Reverend Adu-Gyamfi explained that the committee
recommended that the EC contact the competent authorities to supervise
provide the Commission with a list of Ghanaians who have obtained authorization
residence permit.
The members of the EC ROPAA committee who
Ms. Adwoa Abrefa Asuama, Member of the EC, participated in the meeting with stakeholders.
Member; and Dr. Benjamin Kumbuor, leading member of the National Democratic
Congress (NDC).
Others were Professor Ransford Gyampo of
University of Ghana and Mr. Kofi Akpaloo, representative of the minority
Parties without representation in Parliament and leader of the Liberal Party of
Ghana.
Dr. Kojo Asante of the Center for Democratic
Development (CDD); Mr. John Boadu, Secretary General of the New Patriotic Party
(Nuclear plant); however, were absent.
It will be remembered that following the plea
by interest group, a bill was introduced in Parliament in 2006, the
Bill to amend the People's Representative (ROPAB) to change the representation
of the People's Law of 1992 on the PDNC Act 284.
Bill 284 on the PNDC did not provide for
Ghanaian citizens other than persons working in Ghana's diplomatic missions,
persons working with international organizations of which Ghana is a member and
Ghanaian government grant students to register in the countries
where they reside.
The ROPAA, Act 2006, ACT 699 was therefore
adopted to extend the right of Ghana to participate in the public vote
elections and referendums for Ghanaians living outside Ghana.
GNA
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