[ 2016-06-29 ]

Supreme Court’s 6-day ultimatum to EC expires today
The Supreme Court’s directive asking the
Electoral Commission (EC) to produce the list of
persons whose names were captured onto the
voters’ register using the National Health
Insurance Scheme (NHIS) card as proof of Ghanaian
citizenship, expires today, June 29.

The order, which was issued on Thursday June 23,
asked the Commission to furnish it with the
information in six days, to enable it bring
closure to the matter.

The panel of five judges also asked the
Commission to provide them with a detailed plan on
how they were going to carry out the deletion and
re-registration of the same people who would be
affected.

In issuing the directives, they warned that they
will not allow the Electoral commission, to plunge
the country into chaos.

The Supreme Court’s latest order became
necessary after the former People’s National
Convention (PNC) Youth Organizer, Abu Ramadan,
went back to the court to seek clarity regarding
the removal of unqualified persons on the voters
register.

There are fears the EC may not be able to meet
the deadline, but it has rejected the assertions
insisting that the list can be made available to
the Supreme Court.

Speaking to Accra-based Unique FM, the Assistant
Head in Charge of Communications at the EC, Yussif
Ayuba, gave assurances that the Commission will
meet the Supreme Court’s Wednesday deadline.

Mr. Yussif said the EC is working” very hard to
meet the deadline come the 29th on Wednesday. We
are working very hard and we hope to provide the
court with what they requested us to provide them
with.”

He also gave the assurance that the controversy
surrounding the deletion of the NHIS card
registrants from the register will not disrupt the
2016 election calendar.

Background

The apex court on May 5, asked the Electoral
Commission to expunge from the current voters’
register the names of all persons who registered
and voted in the 2012 elections, with the NHIS
card as a proof of identity.

The ruling followed a suit filed by Abu Ramadan,
and one, Evans Nimako, who in 2014 won a lawsuit
that barred the use of NHIS cards for
registration.

The two, among other reliefs, wanted the current
register declared inappropriate for the November
polls.

But the EC after studying the ruling said it’s
understanding does not suggest the use of any new
process to delete the names of those who
registered with NHIS cards, since there are
already laid down procedures for expunging
ineligible names.

The EC’s explanation however angered Mr.
Ramadan who felt the Commission was disrespecting
the explicit orders of the court.

His position was further strengthened when one of
the judges who gave the May 5 ruling, stated
categorically that the ruling was clear and
unambiguous and that the EC must remove the names
of persons who registered with the NHIS card.

Source - citifmonline.com

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