A private legal practitioner, Samson Lardy Anyenini, Thursday described the committee inaugurated by the Electoral Commission (EC) to supervise the implementation of the Representation of People’s Amendment Act (ROPAA) as needless.
The Consultative and Implementation Committee tasked to see the operationalization of the 16-year-old law, Mr. Anyenini said is nothing but a waste of national resource.
The Committee comprises three members of the EC, political parties have three representatives – NPP, NDC and one for the remaining minority parties – and three representatives for Civil Society Organisations. It is expected to present its report and recommendation to the EC by May 2019.
Mr. Anyenini, however, argued that the task to be rendered by the Committee has already been done.
“It is a waste of everybody’s time, a waste of our resources because at Afari Gyan’s [former Electoral Commissioner] time that’s when people were supposed according to Afari Gyan’s own announcement to go across the world and look at how the process was being done in other countries.
“The committee that was set up in 2011 took into consideration all of these factors. It is such a needless wage,” he said.
Meanwhile, the chairperson of the Electoral Commission Jean Mensa assures that the Electoral Management Body is focused to implement ROPAA come 2020.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Consultative and Implementation Committee the EC boss said they are mindful of the “challenges” the implementation of the law will pose, however, the Commission is optimistic.
ROPAA empowers Ghanaians abroad with the right to be registered as voters and the right to vote in public elections and a referendum. But for the past 16 years since the law was passed, it has not been implemented.