Source: newsthemegh.com
The Guarantor system, which is now utilized for voter registration, has been called into question by the Electoral Commission since it has outlived its purpose and has been tainted by blatant abuse.
The Ghana Card should serve as the only document used to establish a person’s citizenship in the nation, the Commission underscored.
The Commission highlighted the abuse of the Guarantor system seen during the recently concluded voter registration activity during a news conference on Tuesday, October 17, to provide an update on the recent voter registration exercise.
“On the basis of the identification documents used by applicants, the Guarantor System dominates with 563,919 representing 61.9%. This is distantly followed by the Ghana Card at 37.8% and Passport at 0.3%. The irony is that the 2020 Voters Register has almost 61% of registered voters using the Ghana Card.”
“How we now have the Ghana Card representing 37.8% is open to several interpretations. However, the Commission is convinced that the Guarantor system has no place in our electoral democracy and we call on all our stakeholders to support the Commission’s endeavor to use the Ghana Card as the sole identification document for registration.”
The Commission drew attention to the fact that numerous nations in the sub-region, including Kenya, Senegal, Rwanda, South Africa, Nigeria, and Senegal, do not use the Guarantor system for identifying their citizens.
The Commission demanded swift action and emphasized the need to enhance electoral procedures by doing away with guarantors and relying entirely on the Ghana Card.
The Commission encouraged Parliament to approve and pass the relevant laws, stressing the urgency of making the reform, and urged the government to provide funding to the National Identification Authority (NIA) to expedite the creation of Ghana Cards for all citizens.
“We abhor the encouragement of minors to register, which is a crime and a longstanding issue in our electoral system. It is disheartening to note that these minors were facilitated to registration centers by individuals who should have known better,” stated the Commission. “We call on all citizens and stakeholders to join hands with us in solving this problem and ensuring the integrity of our electoral processes.”
The Guarantors who broke the rules by providing guarantees for more than 10 applicants received a harsh warning from the Commission as well.
Such people will be subject to legal repercussions, including having their names published in national newspapers and being prosecuted.
The Commission reaffirmed its commitment to registering every eligible citizen while also reiterating its will to hold offenders accountable for breaking electoral laws.