Parliament votes 106-92 to approve controversial C.I 126

Parliament has voted to approve the controversial C.I 126 which gives legal backing to the Electoral Commission to compile a new voter’s register for the December polls.

106 members of the Majority side of the House voted in support of the C.I while 92 opposition MPs opposed it. Despite the seeming clearance from the legislative chamber, the EC will have to jump the

major hurdle yet with regards to the new register as the Supreme Court is to rule on the legality or otherwise of their action. Meanwhile, a group calling itself the Concerned University Lecturers of Ghana has kicked against the decision of the Electoral

Commission to compile a new voters’ register for the upcoming elections. An Open Letter, signed by over 100 lecturers from various universities across the country said the EC boss’ entrenched position to

exclude the current Voters’ ID card from the list of documents needed to secure a new ID card during the compilation of the new register could end up disenfranchising over 9 million Ghanaians.

The letter also stated that the posture of the EC boss has poisoned the electoral environment and has the potential to completely erode the trust and confidence of the Commission.

“It is our considered view that the Commission under your leadership seem to have
thrown away the principle of constructive deliberation and consensus-building, and
that to a very large extent has accounted for the current controversy.

“Your current unilateral departure from the previous approach to decision making by the Commission has poisoned the electoral environment and has the potential to undermine the credibility of the 2020 elections.”