Lawyer Abraham Amaliba, Director of Legal Affairs of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) says there will be no need for C.I. 126 to go back to Parliament should the Supreme Court ruling go in their favour.
The C.I. 126, which was passed by Parliament makes the Ghana Card and the Ghanaian passport the only legal identification documents for registering people in the new biometric voters' register.
The NDC prior to this had gone to court requesting that the EC includes the existing voter’s ID card as proof to enable Ghanaians to register in the exercise slated for June 30.
The opposition party initially took two reliefs to court; to stop the EC from going ahead with the compilation of the new voters' register and the inclusion of the Voter's ID card as proof of eligibility but they were asked to choose one and they chose the latter.
The court adjourned proceedings to June 23 to deliver its judgement.
Speaking to this in an interview on Neat FM's 'Me Man Nti' programme, lawyer Amaliba said a Supreme Court judgment will only amend C.I. 126.
"The Supreme Court ruling will be like an amendment to the C.I . . . it won’t have to go back to Parliament," he stated.
Listen to him the video below
Source: Peacefmonline.com
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USING AN OLD VOTERS' CARD ALONE TO OBTAIN A NEW VOTER CARD WILL BE LIKE SEEKING TO TESTIFY BY YOURSELF AT THE LAW COURT TO SUPPORT OR CONFIRM YOUR OWN CLAIMS WITHOUT A WITNESS. WHEN YOU SEEK TO GET A PASSPORT OR A NATIONAL ID CARD YOU ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE SOME DOCUMENTS TO GET THE NEW PASSPORT OR ID, EVEN WHEN YOU STILL SUBMIT THE OLD ONE. THIS MEANS THE OLD PASSPORT OR THE ID ALONE DOES NOT GUARANTEE A NEW ONE. IT ONLY HELPS TO CONTAIN SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE PERSON FROM THE OLD DOCUMENTS. LIKEWISE AN OLD VOTER'S CARD DOES NOT GUARANTEE ANY AUTHENTICITY TO OBTAIN A NEW ONE. SO, TO EXPECT THE EC TO REQUIRE AN OLD VOTER'S CARD TO ISSUE A NEW ONE IS IRRELEVANT. EC NOW MAY NOT NEED TO MAINTAIN A CONTINUATION OF INFORMATION FROM THE OLD CARD INTO THE NEW ONE. IT OBVIOUS THAT THE EC SEEKS TO SECURE THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE NEW VOTERS' REGISTER, TO GUARANTEE THAT THE BEARERS OF THE NEW' CARDS TO SATISFY THE EXACT REQUIREMENTS TO BECOME A TRUE GHANAIAN VOTER. THIS HAS BECOME NECESSARY FOR EC AS IT CLAIMS THAT THE VOTERS' REGISTER IS EXCESSIVELY COMPROMISED AND SO IT CANNOT VOUCH TO AUTHENTICATE ALL THE CURRENT VOTERS CARD. IT MUST ALSO BE NOTED THAT, EVEN WHERE OLD VOTERS' CARD IS ADMITTED, THAT ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH TO OBTAIN A NEW ONE. ONE WOULD STILL HAVE TO PROVIDE OTHER DOCUMENTS TO SUPPORT ONE'S CLAIM OF CITIZENSHIP AND MATURITY TO BE A VOTER. HOPEFULLY AS TIME GOES ON, NDC AND THEIR LIKES WOULD COME TO UNDERSTAND THE USE OF THESE DOCUMENTS IN ORDER TO AVOID ALL THE UNNECESSARY CONFUSION THEY HAVE CREATED ABOUT IT. NDC IS MISGUIDED ABOUT THE DUTY OF EC ON THE REGISTRATION. THEY SEE THE DUTY OF EC AS TO REGISTER ALL QUALIFIED GHANAIANS. NDC FAILS TO SEE THE DUTY OF EC AS TO REGISTER ONLY ALL QUALIFIED GHANAIANS. THAT IS POOR JUDGEMENT. YES, THE EC MUST REGISTER ALL GHANAIANS, BUT EC MUST ALSO REGISTER ONLY GHANAIANS. IT IS UP TO EVERY GHANAIAN TO ACCESS THE AVAILABLE AND THE REQUIRED PROVISIONS TO PROVE ONE'S CITIZENSHIP TO EC IN ORDER TO GET REGISTERED. I AM A GHANAIAN. I AM MORE THAN 18YRS. I AM OF SOUND MIND. MAKE BIG CONTRIBUTION TO GHANA ECONOMY. TAKE CARE OF MANY IN SCHOOLS. I LIVE OUTSIDE GHANA AND CANNOT ACCESS THE AVAILABLE PROVISIONS TO GET REGISTERED NOW. BECAUSE OF THIS GHANA SHOULD BURN. NO WAY. REASONING MUST GIVE WAY TO REALITY OF LIFE.
Am not a lawyer and stand to be corrected. i think the use of amend by Amaliba is problematic. SC ruling in my humble view will complement the existing law C1 126 and not to amend. Thus in reading or relying on the CI 126, one will have to read and consider the SC Ruling as well as. SC does not amend Act of Parliament.
Who told Amaliba that the Supreme Court is going to rule that the old Voter ID should be should be used as a form of identification? Again, NDC lawyers don't read.
Amaliba Amaliba Amaliba!!! How many times is your name mention? three times. Apuuuuuuuu!!!!! Amaliba