Mrs. Jean Adukwei Mensa, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), has emphasized that the proposed Constitutional Instrument (CI) aiming to establish the Ghana Card as the exclusive document for voter registration is set to enhance the credibility of the voting process. Mrs. Mensa has expressed that the Electoral Commission plans to phase out the guarantor system, a system under which individuals vouch for the eligibility of others during voter registration. Despite this, a substantial number of Ghanaians have not yet provided substantial reasons to support the EC’s intention to replace the guarantor system.
Mrs. Mensa, in her address to the press on August 17, 2023, conveyed that the Ghana Card serves as the most reliable method to uphold the integrity of the voters’ register. She explained that the guarantor system, which was implemented three decades ago when the country lacked the Ghana Card, has now become obsolete with the advent of this comprehensive identification document.
Speaking about the CI currently under consideration by Parliament, she stated, “In relation to the CI being reviewed by Parliament, we have chosen not to reintegrate the guarantor system. Our confidence in the efficacy of the guarantor system has waned over time. Thirty years ago, when we embarked on this journey and the Ghana Card was nonexistent, it made sense to adopt a mechanism that accommodated individuals without formal documentation. Now, with the Ghana Card in place after three decades, we must depend on it as the most dependable means to preserve the integrity of our voter registry.”
Mrs. Jean Mensa has consistently emphasized that the current draft CI, with its provisions centered on utilizing the Ghana Card as the sole form of identification for voters, holds relevance for Ghana’s electoral process. She presented the status of the draft CI to parliament, highlighting its aim to facilitate continuous registration of new voters and to eliminate unqualified individuals from the electoral system.
Dr. Dominic Ayine, Chair of the Subsidiary Legislation Committee, has expressed a differing viewpoint, contending that a new CI is unnecessary given the potency of the existing one utilized for the 2020 registration.
