November 9, 2011

A former Deputy Attorney General under the J. A Kufuor administration, Kwame Osei-Prempeh, has endorsed the NDC government’s resolve to allow prisoners in Ghana to vote effective the 2012 general elections.

According to Mr. Osei-Prempeh, President John Evans Atta Mills’ pronouncement is a step in the right direction and in line with the country’s constitution, but charged the president to also make good his promise of giving Ghanaians living abroad the chance to exercise their franchise.

Speaking on Citi FM’s Eyewitness News on Tuesday, Mr. Osei-Prempeh said, “when the president assumed office, in his first State of the Nation’s address in Parliament, he said that he was going to revisit the ROPAL [Representation of the People’s Amendment Law] which has been passed and put up a committee to see how it could be implemented.

“Just as the prisoners have the right to vote, Ghanaians who for one reason or the other find themselves outside the shores of this country are entitled to vote. The constitution in article 42 does not discriminate against them.”

He added: “So the President has done well in saying that the prisoners should vote and is going to empower the Electoral Commission to do that. I believe that Ghanaians outside, who make enormous contribution to this economy are also entitled to vote via article 42 of the constitution.”

By: Citifmonline. com