5 political parties have filed a lawsuit at the Supreme Court, challenging the decision of the Electoral Commission to conduct the planned limited voters’ registration at its district offices.
The 5 parties include the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Convention People’s Party (CPP), All People’s Congress (APC), Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) and Great Consolidated People’s Party (GCPP).
In the suit jointly filed at the Apex Court, the parties argued that the EC is mandated by law to designate registration centres that are suitable and accessible by eligible Ghanaians to exercise their constitutional right to be registered as voters.
They said the EC’s decision to limit the registration exercise to only its district offices will prevent eligible Ghanaians especially those in the rural areas from being registered.
This, they argued, is a violation of the rights of prospective applicants and in contravention of the 1992 Constitution and the relevant electoral laws which mandate the EC to make the centres suitable and accessible by all.
They are, therefore, praying the court to declare the EC’s decision null and void as well as order it to extend the registration to electoral areas across the country.
The parties and Civil Society Organisations had protested the move by the Commission to restrict the exercise to its district offices. They had contended that the move could lead to chaos at the centres and prevent eligible applicants from partaking in the exercise.
They, thus, demanded a decentralization of the exercise to bring it closer to the people.
But the EC did not yield to their demand and was going ahead with the registration at the designated centres.
