Daasebre Dr Amankona Diawuo, the Paramount Chief of Berekum in the Brong-Ahafo Region, has called on the Committee set up by the Electoral Commission (EC) to facilitate the implementation of the Representation of the People’s Amendment Act (ROPAA) not to rush, but observe due diligence towards its implementation in the supreme interest of the nation.
He recommended that the committee must ensure all eligible Ghanaian voters abroad register with Ghana’s embassies and high commissions in order for them to participate in any general election.
Though parliament passed the Act 699 in 2006 to extend the right to vote in public elections and referenda to Ghanaian citizens living abroad, the implementation of the Act has since delayed due to some challenges.
The act charged the EC with the responsibility to make regulations for the implementation of ROPAA and in complying with the obligation of the Act, the commission set up a sub-committee to make recommendations on how best the ROPAA can be implemented.
But, speaking at a regional stakeholders engagement meeting on ROPAA, held in Sunyani, Daasebre Dr Diawuo said ROPAA was laudable and needed to be implemented to consolidate the gains of Ghana’s democracy.
It was attended by civil society organizations, traditional authorities, and representatives of political parties selected from Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regions.
The nine-member committee is currently undertaken a nationwide stakeholders engagements to sensitize the people on ROPAA, collate their views and opinions to facilitate smooth implementation of the Act.
Daaebre Dr Diawuo, who is a surgeon specialist at the regional hospital in Sunyani, noted that the nationwide consultation on the ROPAA was very necessary, and advised Ghanaians to participate and share ideas that could make it implementation successful.
Dr Bossman Eric Afari, a Deputy Chairperson of the EC and the Chairman of the Committee said though ROPAA was confronted with several challenges, which had delayed the implementation process, the engagements would bring out recommendations that would facilitate its successful implementation.
He said similar engagements had already been held in the Western, Central, Eastern, Volta and Ashanti Regions saying outcomes and recommendations so far had been impressive.
Dr Benjamin Kunbour, a former minister, and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) representative on the committee took the participants through processes in the implementation of the ROPAA.
, December 12, 2019