The African Electoral Institute (AEI) has issued a fervent appeal to minors, urging them to refrain from participating in the current Limited Voter Registration Exercise conducted by the Electoral Commission.
The AEI emphasizes that it is illegal for individuals below the age of 18 to register as voters. In its press statement, the AEI also called on parents to play an active role in preventing their underage children from registering. The institute advises parents to educate their children about the legal implications and to discourage them from succumbing to offers of money or other incentives from unscrupulous individuals attempting to lure minors into registering.
The statement signed by Augustus Eshun, the Director of Communication and External Relations, and sighted by A1 Radio, urges parents to report any such incidents to the police to ensure appropriate actions are taken against those attempting to manipulate the system.
Community leaders are also being called upon to assist in this effort, helping to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process by ensuring minors do not engage in this unlawful activity. The AEI indicated the legal framework governing voter registration, noting that facilitating or attempting to register a minor is a serious electoral offense.
“It should be noted that getting or facilitating a person who has not attained the age of 18 years per section 1(1) (b) of the Public Elections Regulations (Voter Registration) C.I. 91 (as amended by C.I. 126) to register as a voter constitutes an electoral offense per section 28 (1) of the Public Elections Regulations (Voter Registration) C.I. 91 (as amended by C.I. 126),” the statement added.
The institute warned minors and their parents of the long-term consequences of such actions.
“Underage persons who are misled by some politicians or even their own parents to get them registered as voters now should note that there will be consequences awaiting them in the near future since this singular mistake can hurt their future progress forever because the voter IDENTITY CARD may be linked to their National Identification Cards (GHANA CARD) which will have future ramifications for them.”
The AEI encourages political party agents and the general public to adhere to the official guidelines during the registration exercise. Specifically, those who suspect a registrant to be underage should utilize the challenge form process, following due procedure rather than resorting to violence or unlawful measures.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Joshua Asaah|Ghana