The National Democratic Congress has applied for a review of the Supreme Court ruling which disallowing the use of birth certificates as proof of Ghanaian citizenship.
The opposition party is also seeking a review of the top court’s ruling which upheld the Electoral Commission’s decision to exclude the existing voters’ ID cards as identification documents for enrolment on the new voters register.
The decision to seek a review of the judgement was disclosed by National Communications Officer of the party Sammy Gyamfi in a statement Friday.
“This afternoon, the National Democratic Congress caused to be filed an application for the review of the judgment of the Supreme Court in the case involving the current voter registration exercise, which judgment was delivered on 25th June 2020,” the statement said.
The NDC’s lawyers, according to Mr. Gyamfi have studied the full judgement — which was released 20 days after the ruling – “and have come back with a number of very cogent reasons why they think the judgment of the Supreme Court was wrong.”
“We have therefore placed our concerns before the Supreme Court for it to take a second look at its own judgment, and if possible, change its position on matters that we think are fundamental to citizenship and the right to vote in this country,” he wrote.
Mr. Gyamfi stressed that the party disagrees with the Supreme Court’s assertion that a Ghanaian birth certificate cannot be proof of citizenship.
“…throughout the world, the keeping of official records of birth and the use of the resulting birth certificate for public purposes is well established.”
Also the NDC maintains the existing voter IDs must be accepted as identification documents since the holders went through verification by the Electoral Commission itself.
“It is our conviction, that as a Political party which birthed this fourth republican democracy, we owe it a duty to God and country, to use every available legal opportunity, to defend and protect citizenship rights provided under same,” the NDC spokesman said.
The Supreme Court in June, dismissed the NDC and another’s suit brought before it on the ongoing voters’ registration exercise.
The plaintiffs sought to prevail on the EC to accept birth certificates and the existing voters’ ID as proof of citizenship to enroll onto the new voters’ register but the court disagreed, upholding the EC’s decision to stick with Ghana cards and Passports only.
The court ruled birth certificates are not even a proof of citizenship.
