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By Rashid Mbugri / Zulai Abubakar, GNA
Tamale, March 17, GNA – Some speakers in
Northern Region advised the Electoral Commission (EC) do not hasten in his decision to implement
law to amend the law on the representation of the people (ROPAA), 2006, law 699.
They said that the EC was facing challenges
such as concrete data on the number of registered voters and urged them to
focus on cross-checking and providing background data to help mitigate risks
the implementation of the ROPAA and to prevent the waste of resources.
They said challenges such as those who
occurred in the 2012 general election in the country could be repeated if
the EC is keen to take the decision to immediately implement the ROPAA.
ROPAA is a law that allows Ghanaians to live
Abroad (GLAs) to register and vote in the general elections in Ghana, in accordance with Article
42 of the 1992 Constitution.
Stakeholders included legal practitioners,
religious and traditional leaders, media professionals, representatives of political parties,
disabled people, security personnel, civil society organizations
among others.
Stakeholders gave advice to
weekend in Tamale with a consultation and an implementation of nine (9) members
committee set up by the EC, in order to dialogue with the main stakeholders of the North,
Savannah and Northeast regions on the best way to implement the ROPAA.
They said that there was also the need to
tighten the way pbadports were issued to people especially non-Ghanaians in the
country.
Some suggested that if the vote was to take place
Abroad, Ghanaian citizens abroad should also be put to the vote in all
elections in the country ranging from presidential, parliamentary,
election of the district badembly and referendum.
Other issues raised by stakeholders
the way in which EC staff abroad would be selected, the source of income for
used for elections abroad, how would the ROPAA be implemented in all
around the world where there are Ghanaians or in selected countries, among which
other.
Dr. Eric Bossman Asare, Vice President of
the EC and a member of the Committee, said since the adoption of the ROPAA law
in 2006, the EC had not been able to implement the ROPAA before the establishment of a high court in Accra.
in 2017 ordered the EC to start the implementation process.
He said that the order of the high court came as a
result of five Ghanaians residing in the United States who won a case in 2017,
which resulted in the court ordering the EC to submit to Parliament a
(CI) which would define the modalities of the
implementation of the ROPAA.
He stated that this had led to the creation of
of the EC with the 9 member bodies, so that they engage with the main stakeholders of the
country for suggestions regarding the implementation of the ROPAA.
Benjamin Bewa-Nyog Kunbuor, Member of
Committee, stressed the requirements for any Ghanaian citizen abroad who
participate in elections in Ghana stating that he or she must have a valid Ghanaian pbadport, a valid pbadport
residence permit or have a
proof of dual citizenship.
He said in order to set up
registration centers and polling stations, the Committee recommends that
selected countries should include places where Ghana has diplomatic missions;
countries where Ghana's ambbadadors have simultaneous accreditation as well as
countries that have a Ghanaian population of at least 500 people.
GNA
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