EC sued over bloated voters' register

The plaintiff, Kwame Boafo, a private legal practitioner who doubles as the Brong Ahafo Regional Youth Organiser of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) is challenging the eligibility of some names on the voters' register.

The suit comes at a time of a raging national debate about whether or not EC should compile a new voters' register or just clean and maintain the current one.

A five member panel was put together by the Electoral Commission to consider all proposals regarding the debate with the EC rejecting calls for a new voters' register for the 2016 elections.

The EC in its report said the Panel set up to look into concerns surrounding the call for a new voter register "finds the arguments for a new register unconvincing and therefore does not recommend the replacement of the current voters’ register."

Below are what Mr Kwame Boafo seeks the court to do:

a. A declaration that the current national voters’ register compiled by the defendant and intended to be used for the 2016 general elections in Ghana is bloated and hence unfit for use in the 2016 general elections.

b. A declaration that the current national voters’ register compiled by the defendants and intended to be used for the 2016 general elections in Ghana contains names of foreigners, minors, deceased persons andother persons who are constitutionally ineligible to vote in the 2016 general elections.

c. A declaration that the current national voters’ register compiled by the defendant and intended to be used for the 2016 general elections in Ghana contains names of persons who used National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Cards to register and hence the current voters’ register is not credible or fit to be used for the 2016 generals elections.

d. A declaraion that the findings by the five-member committee chaired by VCRAC Crabbe and constituted or formed by the defendant are true reflection of the weaknessess/laws inherent in the current national voters’ register compiled by the defendant and intended to be used forthe 2016 general elections in Ghana.

e. A declaration that a revision by the defendant of the national voters’ register to get rid of the names of foreigners, minors, deceased persons and other persons who are ineligible to voe does not constitute an arbitrary and discriminatory application of the electoral laws of Ghana.

f. An order of interim injunction restraining the Election Committee recently inaugurated by the defendant from playing any role whatsoever in relation to the impending national elections until the final determination of this suit.

g. An order of interim injunction restraining the defendant, her assigns, agent, privies, officials or any other person(s) or bodies acting through the defendant from registering voters or conducting the proposed limited registration of voters slated for 18/03/2016 until the final determination of this suit.

See more: NPP will win 'with or without' voters' register - Mac Manu

h. A declaration that, the current national voters’ register compiled by the defendant and intended to be used for the 2016 general elections in Ghana is not credible and hence null and void.

i. An order compelling the defendant to compile a new and credible national voters’ register for use in the 2016 general elections in Ghana.

j. Further order or orders as this Honourable Supreme Court may deem fit to make.

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