The Electoral Commission has replied critics who claimed it cannot meet the deadline given by the Supreme Court in releasing the list of persons whose names were captured on the voters register using the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) cards as a form of identification.
A statement from the Electoral Commission described the claims as deceptive.
“It is a complete deception for anyone to claim that the EC cannot compile a credible list of voters who registered using the NHIS card as a form of identification.”
[contextly_sidebar id=”PS6sIKSnVXVfy9eOBE3okCcYGlbUoILy”]The apex court had ordered the EC to furnish it with the list by June 29, 2016 but critics are skeptic saying the commission may miss the ultimatum.
But the EC insisted that “it is also false for anyone to claim that the EC cannot comply with the orders of the Supreme Court.”
“Where lies the difficulty or impossibility when the EC has the primary registration document (Form 1As). The Commission will fully satisfy the request of the Apex Court,” the statement added.
EC can’t produce NHIS card registrants in 6-days
The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO), has suggested that the EC may not be able to furnish the Supreme Court with the full list of the NHIS registrants within six days.
The National Coordinator of CODEO, Albert Kofi Arhin argued that the EC does not have all the documents in its database for it to be able to fully determine all those who registered using NHIS cards, for subsequent deletion.
We’ll respect Supreme Court order – EC
The Electoral Commission had earlier assured that it will be able to produce the list by every means possible.
Head of Communication at the Electoral Commission, Eric Kofi Dzakpasu, told Citi News the Commission respects the orders of the court.
“The Electoral Commission respects the ruling of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court gave us two clear and unequivocal orders — that we should produce the list of those who registered with the NHIS card and then submit a written statement on steps and modalities by which we are going to delete the names of the people and give them the opportunity to re-register if they are so qualified, and we should meet this by June 29. This is exactly what we are going to do,” he added.
Jail EC boss, six others if…
Financial Analyst and Social commentator, Sydney Casely-Hayford has opined that the Supreme Court to jail the seven members of the Electoral Commission [EC] should they fail to obey the orders of the Supreme Court.
“If they do not comply by the 29th, they should be jailed. All the seven members of the commission should be rallied before the Supreme Court and charged with contempt of the Supreme Court and they should be jailed,” Casely-Hayford said on Citi FM’s News analysis programme, The Big Issue.
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By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin