'The opposite of common sense is no sense'-Bernard Mornah

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Bernard Muonah

'The opposite of common sense is no sense'-Bernard Mornah

Led advocate and leader of the Interparty Resistance Against The New Voters Register and National Chairman of the PNC Mr Bernard Mornah today called on traditional authorities and the clergy against the decision by the EC, to compile a new voter register in the country.

As part of advocacy to press upon authorities to call the EC to rescind its decision to compile a new register in the country, Mr Mornah said the base for which the EC allowed a passport and a Ghana card as a basic requirement to the detriment of a birth certificate is unthinkable. This he said during a radio interview last night in Wa.

Mr Mornah said both Ghana Card and Passport have the birth cert as a basic requirement to acquire and that the EC denying a birth cert as its basic requirement into the new register as strange and irrational.

‘If you don’t have common sense, what do you have? I mean what is the opposite of common sense? No sense’ he added.

The entourage, yesterday also paid visits to traditional rulers in the region to register their displeasure over the manner the Jean Mensah led Electoral Commission intends compiling a new register for this December elections without recourse to a birth certificate.

Speaking at the Yeeri Naa Palace, Mr Mornah said it is a subversion of the constitution to deny qualified Ghanaians the right to vote. Sighting the requirements being laid by the Electoral Commission as unacceptable and deliberate attempts to cause confusion.

The Electoral Commission requires that a person must have a National Identification Card or a travelling passport to be registered or a guarantor by two already register persons, but the EC also rules out a birth certificate and the current voter IDs.

This Mr Mornah said are efforts, the commission is taking to reclassify Ghanaians into ‘first class and second class citizens’. He recalled that the current register was used to vote to decide for the creation for 6 additional districts. Which at that time the EC described the register as very good. President and MPs were elected with the same register including the elections of Assembly Members for MMDAs in December last year.

He said the electoral commission declared the register as credible for elections and ‘it is shocking’ the commissions declares the register incredible in less than about 6 months and demanding a new one be compiled at all cost.

The NDC General Secretary Hon. Johnson Nkatie who is part of the team calling on authorities to caution the EC bemoaned the posture of the commission is a sign that the December elections are being planned for rigging in favour of the president who appointed the Commissioner, Jean Mensah.

He added the Upper West Region is the most affected area as about 5% of the region's population owned a Ghana card which meant that fewer people can be registered to vote which must be of much concern to every Ghanaian as development to every area is mostly driven by the population of the area.

The entourage earlier visited the Wa Naa, the Ahmadya Ameer Bulenga Naaa and a meeting with CSOs and The regional chief Imam's office where a sixteen point communique was read, calling on the EC to include every Ghanaian who qualify for registration in the Exercise.

The entourage was accompanied by regional and constituency executives of the PNC, NDC and other interest persons in the resistance against the ECs subversions of the constrictions.

The entourage would today petition Wichau Chief, the Dorimo naa, Jirapa Naa and the Tumu Kuoro who also happens to be a Council of State Member.