Mrs. Jean Mensah, the chairperson of the electoral commission, and Prof. Ken Attafuah, the executive secretary of the National Identification Authority, were questioned intensely by members of parliament on Tuesday, February 28, 2023, regarding the new CI which proposes to make the Ghana card the only form of identification for voter registration.
The EC boss argued in her delivery that the scrapping of the guarantor system in the new CI would enhance the credibility and integrity of the electoral roll. She further revealed that the new CI would enable continuous registration, allowing potential voters to visit the offices of the commission to register throughout the year
However, her presentation was interrupted by heckling from the minority, particularly regarding her conduct at the 2020 elections.
Prof. Ken Attafuah of the National Identification Authority (NIA) disclosed there are challenges with the issuance of the Ghana Card, but added that such challenges will be resolved if funds are provided.
He assured that every potential voter will be issued with the Ghana Card before the 2024 elections.
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, on his part, announced that 80 million cedis of the 100 million cedis allocated to the NIA had already been paid. He added that processes had commenced for the payment of the remaining balance of 20 million and assured that, moving forward, funds would be released on time to the Authority. Questions from MPs from both sides followed, with the minority pointing out that the Commission can do whatever it wants to do even with the current Card Identification (CI). The members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) largely questioned the basis of the new CI.