EC'S METHOD NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO ACCOMPLISH THE SC'S ORDER

EC'S METHOD NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO ACCOMPLISH THE SC'S ORDER

Critical Thinkers International(CTI) has gotten a copy of the judgement of the Supreme Court(SC) in the case of Abu Ramadan and Evans Nimako Vrs The Electoral Commission(EC) and The Attorney General(AG) which was headed by Wood(Mrs), CJ

We have also come across a release from the EC signed by Mr Amadu Sulley, the Deputy Chairman in charge of Operations titled "EC COMMITTED TO A CLEAN VOTER REGISTER" in which they talked of how they intend to work towards the meeting of the orders in the SC's judgement.

We must say we are glad about the EC's release but we are still concerned about the kind of method they intend to execute the SC's order with, since after a careful analysis of the SC's verdict, CTI has come to a conclusion that the EC's Validation/Verification/Authentication method which it intends to use during the Exhibition Exercise can not help execute the orders of the SC properly for a credible register, because their method automatically includes anyone in the existing register who intentionally or unintentionally fails to turn up for the Exhibition exercise.

Which is wrong because it gives an avenue for ineligible voters to get themselves secured in the register by simply not turning up for the Exhibition Exercise.

Below is a summary of the order by the SC;

A. All minors in the existing register should be removed

B. All the dead in the existing register should be removed

C. All the people who registered with inappropriate/unauthorized documents during the 2012 registration and after, of which the National Health Insurance Scheme(NHIS) card which was not illegal during the 2012 Biometric Registration but has become illegal now because of the ruling of the SC on the Abu Ramadan case which made the use of the NHIS card for registration unconstitutional all have to be removed from the existing register.

[A means to get rid of foriegners from the existing register]

D. The SC can not force the EC to do something or move in a particular direction as far as the EC is operating in the laws bidding it.

E. The public can not force the EC to do anything they wish for.

F. The EC can not be forced to use the Validation/Verification/Authentication method proposed by the Crabbe Committee since this method has not been pushed into law and the EC can't also be forced by anyone to push it into law.

They can only consider it if they want to.

G. After the deletion of the assumed ineligible voters such as the Minors, Unauthorized document users and the dead from the register by the EC, an opportunity should be given to these people who have been removed but believe they are eligible to prove themselves and get themselves re-registered/back into the register.

Lastly the SC also advised the EC that eventhough the public can not force it to consider something or it can refuse to consider the suggestions of the public as long as it works within the laws bidding it, it will still be wise for the EC to involve the public in their decision making so that it can increase the public's confidence in them and through that help reduce mistrust and suspicion.

Moreover, considering the orders A, B, C and G above which are the main orders by the SC to help get a credible register, due to the will be difficulty to determine the minors, dead and unauthorized document users in the existing register and get them removed from it, CTI after a careful analysis have come to realise that the best methods to help accomplish this task is;

A. A Crabbe Committee's Validation/Verification/Authentication method after a totally New Biometric Register has been done.

[If time and funds are enough to include a totally New Biometric Register]

B. A Crabbe Committee's Validation/Verification/Authentication method only.

[If time and funds are not enough to include a totally New Biometric Register]

[Note; The Crabbe Committee's validation method automatically removes from the existing register anyone who doesn't turn up for the validation exercise and also all people who don't present the appropriate documents to prove their validity to continue being in the register].

We will as a result advise and plead with the EC to consider one of the two methods above since they have already proposed they lack the right mechanisms to help get Ghana a credible register.

But if they still insist they won't use any of the above then we will plead with them to get a more credible method than their existing method and then furnish Ghanaians with this new method so that it can be pushed for public scrutiny before they push it into law for this task of cleaning the register.

The EC must have in mind that since the first step to a Credible Election which Ghanaians will LOVE and be pleased with is getting a Credible Register, it has therefore become very important for a credible register to be gotten.

And since a Credible Register has become this important, and even more important than their New Logo they LOVE and cherish so much, so just as they did with the acquisition of their new logo, CTI will plead with the EC to also do everything possible to get a Credible Register which Ghanaians will also LOVE.

Hhhmm, may God be praised always

............SIGNED.............

Critical Thinkers International

[Creative Minds; Changing The World]

Criticalthinkersintl@gmail.com

www.criticalthinkersghana.blogspot.com