Court dismisses another application to stop EC from compiling new voters register

A High Court in Accra has dismissed another application seeking to stop the compilation of new voters’ register for the December 7, 2020 elections.

The ex-parte motion, filed by the Member of Parliament for Ashaiman Constituency, Mr Ernest Henry Norgbey want the court to hold that the current register is valid until such a time it was revoked by Parliament.

He prayed the court to declare that the Public Elections (Registration of Voters) (Amendment) Regulations, 2020 (C.I.126) does not confer the EC the legal mandate to compile a new voters’ register for the 2020 general elections.

The plaintiff asked the court for a perpetual injunction restraining the EC whether, by itself, workers, representatives or any other person or body howsoever described acting for or on behalf of the EC, from compiling a new voters’ register for the conduct of the 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary elections until such time as the EC is authorized to do so by a law duly and validly made or passed by the Parliament of Ghana.

But the presiding judge, Justice Enyonam Adinyira declined the invitation to make such declarations affirming that the court was bounded by the decision of the Supreme Court of June 25, which gave the EC the green light to compile a fresh electoral roll.

In the unanimous decision of the court, the judges held that their decision affects similar cases pending or yet to be filled in any other court.

Appearing before Justice Adinyira, Dr Abdul Basit Aziz Bamba, counsel for the applicant argued that his client’s action was different from the ones adjudicated by the apex court.

Mr Justin Amenuvor, counsel for the EC told the court that the case was similar to those dismissed by the Supreme Court.

The decision by the EC to compile a new register was greeted with mixed reactions.

While the EC and others hold that the current voters’ was incurably defective for purpose, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the largest opposition political party in Ghana and others argued that the register was clean and could be used for the 2020 general elections.

The decision of the Supreme Court had consequently brought all legal battles concerning the voters’ to closure.

Barring any last-minute hitch, the compilation of a new biometric register would begin today with the Ghana Card and passport as the two legal documents to be accepted as proof of identity.

Under the new constitutional instrument (C.I.126), a person who obtains their cards may vouch for up to 10 people who do not have the Ghana Card or passport.