Some Ghanaians stranded abroad due to COVID-19 restrictions may not be able to vote during the 2020 elections if the measures to halt the spread of the disease remains.
The Electoral Commission (EC) chair, Jean Mensa said at a press conference in Accra on Wednesday, August 12 that it has been unable to travel to register workers in the Ghanaian missions as well as students on scholarships abroad.
She indicated that the working timetable for the commission may not allow for them to partake in the December exercise if they are unable to get onto the roll anytime soon.
“It is a challenge for all of us that we are grappling with. We have Ghanaians beyond the borders who are unable to come in. The Commission would have liked to register all eligible Ghanaians but it is a challenge that we are grappling with.
“We find that we are not able to travel because there are restrictions on travel not only in Ghana but around the world.
“As part of our plans we were supposed to have travelled to all countries where we had Missions and Embassies to register the Mission staff and students on Government of Ghana scholarship but we have not been able to do that because of the travel restriction.
“There are discussions ongoing and maybe at a later stage when there is some a solution we will provide you with the information on that but for now they are all caught within the restrictions and travel bans globally. It puts us in a tight position and we are not able to say for sure that we will be able to cross the borders. We are working within some timelines and so it has to fill within a particular time so that those persons will be captured on the register,” she said.