Civil Society group, Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA), has questioned the authority of the Supreme Court in hearing the case on the new voter’s register when the constitution has been emphatic only the High Court has the jurisdiction to hear all human rights related cases.
According to ASEPA, the constitutional provision likely to be violated by “the EC’s strange decision” to accept only the Ghana card and passport as requirements for the impending voter registration exercise is the ‘right to vote’ of all those without any of the two documents, and that “makes it a human rights issue.”
Article 42 of the 1992 Constitution states; ‘every citizen of Ghana of eighteen years and above and of sound mind has a right to vote and is entitled to be registered as a voter for the purposes of public elections and referenda.’
ASEPA believes though the Supreme Court last week asked the EC to file additional papers on the legal basis for excluding the voters ID card from their requirements for registration, it is still not the ideal authority to handle the case. Because “the Constitution has given original jurisdiction on matters of Human Rights Violations to the High Court not the Supreme Court!”
The CSO which has issued a statement to this effect is therefore calling on anyone who perceives that “his right to vote would be violated by this shambolic C.I and the New Voters Register, (I mean anyone without a passport or NIA card)” to seek redress in his/her regional High Court.
The statement signed by ASEPA’s Executive Director, Mensah Thompson also stated, “we have an application template, you can reach us at ASEPA we would give you the template and your lawyers would just endorse and file on your behalf.”
The group is also appealing to public interest lawyers and benevolent individuals to respectively provide pro bono services to such people and to support their legal cost in the various regions in order “to prevent their rights from being violated.”
Suraya Alidu Malititi
