Supreme Court orders EC to clean voters’ register
The Supreme Court has ordered the Electoral Commission (EC) to clean the current voters register in compliance with the 1992 constitution as well as other applicable laws.
Consequently, all persons who registered and participated in the 2012 polls with the National Health Insurance (NHIS) cards would have their names deleted in the current register.
Names of minors and the dead would also be expunged from the Register.
In a unanimous decision, the Court, however, tasked the EC to take steps to register those whose names would be expunged per this order of the court.
The Court however, dismissed some of the plaintiffs reliefs which sought to declare the current register null and void and call for validation
The court advised the E C that notwithstanding their independence they should endeavour to consult stakeholders in the discharge of their duties.
Nana Asante Bediatu, who represented the plaintiffs, said he was happy with the decision of the SC as the directive would help clean the register.
According to him he and his clients would continue to write and dialogue with the EC on the way forward per the directives of the Court.
The Plaintiffs are Abu Ramadan, a former Youth Organiser of the People’s National Convention and Mr Evans Nimako a private businessman who have sued the EC over the validity of the current Voters’ Register. Joined in the suit was the Attorney General.
The seven member panel included the Chief Justice Georgina T. Wood, presiding, Dotse, Anin Yeboah, Sulley Gbadegbe, Baffoe-Bonnie, Akamba and Benin.
The plaintiffs are invoking the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court to declare the Register null and void.
They are also requesting for an order, which would set aside the 2012 Voters’ Register and also to compel the EC to compile fresh voters’ register before any fresh election could be conducted.
According to the plaintiffs, the current register contained names of unqualified persons, which was inconsistent with the Constitution of the Republic.
Mr Thaddeus Sorry represented the EC while Mrs. Ivy Vanderpuye represented the Attorney General.
Source: GNA