Mr. Asiedu Nketia said the NDC took the position when it was in opposition and still stands by it, since nothing has since changed to merit a renewal of mindset.
In an interview with Kwami Sefa-Kayi during Kokrokoo on Peace FM, General Mosquito was emphatic that he is part of a political party and not the government and this is the stance of the NDC as a party. The NDC Chief Scribe said there were other options which could be used, rather than the ROPAL. One of such options could be the creation of seats for Ghanaians living outside to elect their own representatives to come and represent them in the parliament.
“We should think of a different way of involving them in an election but not through ROPAL…It is just impossible to implement that law, that’s why nobody wants to implement it…Even the Electoral Commission knows that the law when passed will be impossible to work with…Our position has not changed,“ he added.
According to him, majority of Ghanaians residing outside the country have no form of genuine identification cards, and considering how difficult it will be to clearly identify them, asking them to partake in any electoral exercise under ROPAL will not be feasible, and blithely added; “you might see a Nigerian and you will think the person is a Ghanaian simply because the person is dark”.
“We don’t know the number of Ghanaians outside the country and they are all not living in one place; they are scattered across the world. So where exactly will the Electoral Commission place the ballot boxes for them to come and vote? The constitution says that elections in Ghana should be carried out according to constituencies. Which constituency will they fall under when they are in different countries? If they want to vote, it is their constitutional right and no one can take it away from them. However, they should come down to Ghana and vote. Sending the ballot box to wherever they are is not part of their constitutional right,” he said.
He also stated that apart from all the reasons advanced above, such an exercise could drain the country of its scarce resources. To him, the cost involved in ensuring that just one voter living in the diaspora exercises his franchise, can cater for more than two eligible voters in the country.
The NDC General Secretary pointed out that the committee established by the Electoral Commission (EC) to look into the practicality or otherwise of the law, can still go ahead but the “NDC will not change its position.”
In a related development, General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Lawyer Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, aka Sir John says it is not for him or the government to decide.
“If ROPAL will work or not, the decision lies in the hands of the EC and they (EC) will have to tell Ghanaians why it may or may not work,” he added.
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