EC puts limited voter registration on hold

The Electoral Commission (EC) has put the upcoming limited voter registration exercise on hold, following an injunction application filed at the Supreme Court to restrain the commission from undertaking the exercise.

The exercise, which was scheduled to take place from Friday, June 7 to Thursday, June 27, this year, will no longer go on as scheduled.

According to the commission, a new date for the exercise would be announced.

A statement signed by Mrs Sylvia Annoh of the Communications Directorate of the EC, stated: “The EC wishes to announce for the information of the general public that in view of a pending injunction application seeking to restrain the commission from holding the limited voter registration exercise slated for June 7 to 27, 2019, the upcoming registration exercise has been put on hold until further notice.”

Background

Last month, the EC announced that it would undertake a limited voter registration exercise in all its district offices and selected electoral areas across the country.

The exercise was to offer Ghanaians who had attained 18 years since the last registration exercise, as well as those who, for some reason, had never had the opportunity to register, to do so.

According to the EC, the exercise was part of its preparations towards the conduct of the 2019 district level elections and the referendum on the election of metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCEs) scheduled for Tuesday, December 10, 2019.

Contest

A few days after the EC’s announcement, a Ghanaian based in Daboya in the Savannah Region, Umar Ayuba, went to the Supreme Court to place an injunction on the exercise.

The applicant, on May 23, 2019, sued the EC and the Attorney-General over the EC’s decision to register voters online during its limited registration exercise on the grounds that the decision had not been provided for in law.

Counsel for the applicant, Dr Dominic A. Ayine, is expected to move the motion for an interlocutory injunction on June 11, 2019.

Affidavit

Ayuba, in his sworn affidavit, indicated that there was a serious question before the apex court to determine.

He stated that the balance of convenience tilted favourably towards the public interest, especially those who stood to be disenfranchised and suppressed by the online limited registration exercise if the EC was allowed to proceed with the registration exercise pending the final determination of the suit before the court.

He argued that irreparable harm would be caused to first-time voters from rural areas, since it would not only amount to voter suppression but discriminatory too, denying them of their right to vote, since registration was a condition precedent for one to realise his or her constitutional right to vote under Article 42 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.

According to the applicant, it would be proper, under the circumstances, to stay the hand of the EC until the final determination of the issues raised in the substantive action.