Richard Sky, journalist and Global Coordinator for ‘Article 42′, has made an appeal to the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC) to extend the exercise of the voter registration to cover Ghanaians outside the country’s jurisdiction.
Mr Sky, in a 16 bullet point petition dated June 25, 2020, stated that the right of citizens to be registered outside the country is a right guaranteed by the 1992 Constitution under the Peoples Amendment Act 2006 (ROPAA).
The petitioner introduced himself as citizen of the Republic of Ghana who is presently studying in the United Kingdom, and wrote the letter on his own accord, and that of the article 42 members who are also Ghanaian citizens currently outside the country.
He added that the members of the group are18 years and above and of sound mind, hence qualified to be registered at the jurisdiction they are currently in, as stated by the law.
The group’s current situation, which is compounded by the shutdown of the borders and other restrictions as a result of the Coronavirus (Covid-19), plus the Supreme Court judgment in favour of the EC to commence the compilation of the new register, makes it imperative for their plea to be considered for the ROPAA to be enforced.
He said: “We do not contest the EC’s power to compile a new voter register, more so when the Supreme Court adjudged in June that [the] Commission should proceed with its plans to compose a new electoral roll.
“We, however, take the view that any compilation of a new voters’ register that excludes those of us either currently living and/or staying outside Ghana will amount to a violation of our Constitutional right to vote and our legal entitlements to be registered as voters for public elections and referenda purposes under 42 of 1992 Constitution of Ghana.”
Mr Sky further stated that any attempt to exclude them from the upcoming registration process, amounts to a violation of their rights and entitlements as Ghanaian citizens, and discrimination “against us, only because we are presently outside Ghana.”
“In the light of our grave concerns and apprehension that omitting or excluding us from the planned registration exercise will result in [the] denial of our constitutional rights and entitlements, we are asking the EC to take all reasonable and lawful steps to ensure that those of us outside Ghana are registered to vote in the upcoming elections in December 2020 and beyond,” he added
Mr Sky believes that the EC, in conducting the exercise, would be protecting the sanctity of their right to vote in national elections, as expressed by Article 42 of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution and under ROPAA.
He hoped that the petition would attract a prompt and favourable response from the EC, and cautioned that failure to address these concerns might attract any lawful remedial action that they deem appropriate to safeguard the sanctity of the constitution.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessary reflect The Chronicle’s editorial stance
The post Journalist petitions Electoral Commission appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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