Five opposition political parties in Ghana, including the National Democratic Congress (NDC), have filed a legal action against the Electoral Commission (EC) at the Supreme Court.
This action is in response to the EC’s decision to restrict the upcoming limited voter registration exercise to its district offices.
The parties involved in the lawsuit are the NDC, the Convention People’s Party (CPP), All People’s Congress (APC), Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), and the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP).
They argue that, the EC’s decision to limit voter registration centers to its district offices could potentially disenfranchise many eligible voters, depriving them of their right to be registered and to participate in public elections.
In pursuit of their cause, these political parties have submitted an Application for Interlocutory Injunction, seeking to halt the EC’s planned limited voter registration exercise until the final resolution of the main legal matter.
This is just the initial step in a series of actions the parties plan to take in order to compel the EC to conduct the impending limited voter registration exercise at the electoral area level. Their aim is to ensure that all eligible voters have access to the process, aligning with Article 42 of the 1992 Constitution, Regulation 2(1)(2) of C.I 91, and the EC’s established practices.
However, the Registrar of the Supreme Court has informed the plaintiffs that the date for moving the Application for Interlocutory Injunction will be determined on Monday, following the instructions of the Chief Justice of the Republic. Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission has been served with the lawsuit.
The limited voter registration is scheduled to take place from September 12, 2023, to October 2, 2023, and will cater to eligible Ghanaians who turned 18 years old after the 2020 registration exercise, as well as other eligible voters.
According to the Chairperson of the EC, Jean Mensa, the exercise will be conducted at all 268 district offices of the EC across the country.