New voters’ register: Supreme Court ruling disappointing – Mahama

The flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama says the party is disappointed at the Supreme Court ruling that the existing voter ID card and birth certificates cannot be used as proof of identity to register in the upcoming voter registration exercise.

At a press conference on Thursday, June 25, 2020, the former president maintained that the party vehemently opposes the outcome of the case it [NDC] filed at the Supreme Court.

“Despite the well-reasoned reliefs we sought, the apex court of the land gave the leeway for the Electoral Commission to go ahead with the exclusion of the existing voter identification cards from the list of identification requirements. We are deeply disappointed and strongly disagree with the court over this outcome, which has confounded many legal experts and thrown the country into a state of confusion”, he said.

According to Mr. Mahama, the legal team of the NDC “is examining this decision even as we await the full judgement”.

Manipulating Electoral Process

He further accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government of scheming to rig the 2020 elections by manipulating the electoral process.

According to him, the government is engaging in the act because it fears that Ghanaians will not renew its mandate in the December 2020 polls.

“This represents the handiwork of a desperate incumbent that on account of its very poor performance in government, sees its very political survival only through the prism of manipulation of the electoral process to exclude a section of Ghanaians who they suspect may not renew their mandate at the polls,” he said.

John Mahama’s comment comes after the Supreme Court on Thursday, June 25, 2020, dismissed the NDC’s case against the Electoral Commission’s decision to exclude the current voter’s ID card from the list of identification documents to register to vote.

The NDC had stood firm in its position that the EC’s decision to exclude the current ID from the proof of identification for the new card will disenfranchise the many Ghanaians who do not have a birth certificate, Ghana Card or a passport; the only three documents acceptable by the EC for the registration.

The party, prior to dragging the EC to court had held various demonstrations across the country to register their opposition to the plan.

With the court’s verdict delivered, the party believes Mahama Ghanaians eligible to vote in the 2020 polls may not be able to do so because they lack the required identification documents to register for the new voters’ DI card.