Lawyer Clara Beeri Kasser-Tee writes:
The EC and it’s new register.
It is understandable, that the EC may at this time be tempted to save face – once we previously said the register is not credible, how do we go back and say we can use it? If we do so, people will know we were lying, and we will lose credibility. So let us continue to sing our song – new register is a must. Maybe. Just maybe.
Fact though is, we are not in normal times, and, sometimes, it is a mark of courage to eat humble pie. This is time to put our collective interest and our democracy above all egos and fears.
The elections must take place. The risk to our democracy of “no elections” is not worth it. It is just not worth it, because the elections must come on and we are competent enough to ensure they do. For all of our sakes.
I pray that the EC finds the courage to use the old register and find ways to do limited registration. It is not reasonable to disenfranchise existing voters and ask them to register again, and, insisting on doing so will not make the exercise any less unreasonable. This is a technology age, and we have heard views from many IT experts on this.
Furthermore, I pray that our Courts find courage when approached to compel the EC to maintain an electoral register, revising, updating etc., when necessary, rather than endlessly compiling voters register,(therein lies the allure of procurement).
What we need is a way to ascertain that Kadua Mensah is who she claims to be. We do not need any bells and whistles to do that. So let us stop wasting money on bells and whistles while ironically praising ourselves for being the only ones who have so many unnecessary bells and whistles.
Let us focus on what is important. Basic. Knowing that Kadua Mensah is who she says she is, and she votes once. This is a technology age. Engage the teeming creative and innovative young Ghanaians and they can ensure this.
Having said this, when is the EC briefing/assuring the public of its readiness to hold free, fair and credible elections, Covid 19 or no Covid 19? And, please, let us not keep going back on new register or no new register.
Muster the courage to use the old register, find innovative ways to do limited registration, (the numbers of such registration are far less, and, if you are so minded, you can find innovative ways to comply with social/physical distance), and hold the elections. So give us the plan, and let’s discuss it. We can.
