The Electoral Commission has been given the mandate by the supreme court to proceed with the voters registration exercise.
The supreme court in an unanimous decision today Thursday 25th June, 2020 dismissed cases brought against the Electoral Commission.
The Supreme Court directed the Electoral Commission and all it’s stakeholders to comply with articles 42 and 45 of the 1992 constitution and CI 126, Public Elections (Registration of Voters) (Amendment) Regulations 2020.
The EC in a press release on Thursday 25th June, 2020 signed by the Director of Public Affairs, Mrs. Sylvia Annoh outlined the requirements for proof of identification for the avoidance of doubts CI 126.
“A person who applies for registration as a voter shall provide as evidence of identification one of the following; A passport, A National Identification card issued by the National Identification Authority or one voter registration guarantee form as set out in form one of the schedule, that has been completed and signed by two registered voters.
“By the substitution of Sub-Regulation (4), of (4) Despite paragraph (c) of sub-regulation of (3), a registered voter shall not guarantee the identity of more than ten persons’. The statement read.
The EC emphasizing on the words of the court added “The Electoral Commission in exercising their discretion in the discharge of their constitutional mandate in clearing the voters register should be deemed as authorized to be acting within the law and the regulations therein, and cannot be faulted even if it is considered that there is a more efficient mode or method available.
The EC also stressed that the voters registration exercise will start from Tuesday 30th June to August 6th, 2020.
The EC, however, hinted that it will enforce safety protocols at its registration centers across the country in order to protect applicants from the Covid-19 pandemic.