General News of Thursday, 9 January 2020Source: www.ghanaweb.comOkudzeto chides EC over moves to implement ROPAL in only 60 countriesMember of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto AblakwaMember of Parliament for North Tongu Constituency, Samuel Okudzato Ablakwa has opposed the Electoral Commission's decision to implement the Representation of the Peoples (Amendment) Law (ROPAL) in some selected countries. He indicated that with Ghana having just 60 foreign missions in the 165 UN Member Countries, an implementation of the EC’s election year programme presented to parliament last month will mean “cruelly” disenfranchising a good member of Ghanaians in several foreign countries without Ghanaian Foreign Missions/Embassies. The Representation of the People’s (Amendment) Law (ROPAL), passed in 2006 mandates the Electoral Commission of Ghana to make provisions for Ghanaians in foreign countries to vote in national elections. The commission is seeking to roll out ROPAL in this year’s presidential and parliamentary elections by giving Ghanaians in countries with Ghana’s embassies and foreign missions the opportunity to exercise their franchise. But in Mr Ablakwa’s view the commission should not limit the opportunity to nations with Ghanaian missions and embassies only.

Source: GhanaWeb January 09, 2020 11:37 UTC