Charles Owusu has lent his support to the Electoral Commission's efforts to persuade Parliament to approve a new Constitutional Instrument (C.I.) that would guarantee the use of the Ghana Card as the only identity card necessary for Ghanaian electorates to be registered as voters.
The National Democratic Congress and the Parliamentary Minority have both voiced strong opposition to the new C.I. that the Election Commission has suggested.
The opposition has declared that they would resist this C.I.'s introduction until their issues with the Ghana Card are resolved.
Several Ghanaians claim that the new C.I. will cause them to lose their voting rights, however, EC Chairwoman Jean Mensa has refuted this claim, saying that "the usage of only Ghana Cards will assure and ensure the legitimacy of the register and elections, stop minors from enrolling, stop foreigners from voting, and get rid of the guarantor ".
"We do not seek to deny the right to vote to anyone who is eligible to vote. Registering them is in our best interests. Denying any Ghanaian the right to vote will be in opposition to it, she underscored in her speech to Parliament.
Charles Owusu, a former head of the monitoring unit of the Forestry Commission, made a comment during Friday's panel discussion on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" programme. He questioned the NDC's reasoning behind rejecting the use of the Ghana Card in the election process.
"Can you submit your passport to the bank to pick up your money after the banks indicated they wouldn't take any forms of identification other than the Ghana Card?
While you paid for it, can you travel without a passport and will you receive your money? Why don't we explain that we won't take it since the money in the bank is your property and you can't tell me to bring only the Ghana Card but rather any other form of identification instead? he said.
I can choose to bring a driving licence, health insurance, or any other card, but when the bank suggested this, even if it was your money, everyone accepted it and connected their Ghana Cards to their bank accounts. He voiced his dissatisfaction with the NDC by asking, "Why has voting gotten so complicated that people don't want to comprehend and support it?
"The Ghana Card would offer us a clean society so much so that when you take the Ghana Card, you will be so pleased that you are a Ghanaian," Mr. Owusu insisted in support of the EC.
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