Ghanaians abroad commend EC on ROPAA consultation

Ghanaian community in New York has commended the Electoral Commission (EC) for consulting stakeholders during the process of executing the Representation of the Peoples Amendment Act (ROPAA).

As part of the implementation of ROPAA, the EC must construct a set of regulations in the form of a Constitutional Instrument (CI), to organize voter’s registration and elections in foreign countries.

This would enable Ghanaian citizens of the diaspora to take part in the country’s elections, an opportunity they were previously denied off.

According to the Chairman of the ROPAA Committee Dr Bossman Asare, the committee has embarked on regional tours across Ghana to engage citizens regarding the best practices for the implementation of the policy.

He added that the CI which had to be prepared was based on some inputs from consultations and will be presented to Parliament by December 2019.

He also advised participants to bring on board suggestions that would contribute to the development of Ghana’s democratic system.

Some argued that based on the Right to Vote as seen in Article 42 of the Constitution, it would be unfair for Ghanaian citizens abroad to be deprived of the right to vote simply because of their area of residence.

Chairman of the Progressive Alliance Movement Inc. USA, Dr Kofi Boateng, said he looks forward to Ghanaians abroad being given the opportunity to exercise their franchise.

Additionally, Consul General of Ghana's Mission in New York, Prof. Samuel Kojo Amoako, entreated Ghanaians abroad to comply with the EC to ensure that the ROPAA will be executed successfully.