Bagbin assures of commitment towards passage of ROPAL

Speaker of Parliament, Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin has pledged his commitment work towards the implementation of Representation of the People’s Amendment Law (ROPAL) in the current parliament.

This comes after the about three million Ghanaian community in La Cote D’Ivoire called for the support of parliament to facilitate the passage of the Representation of the People’s Amendment Law (ROPAL) to enable them exercise their franchise.

The Representation of the People’s Amendment Law (ROPAL), aims to ensure that Ghanaians living abroad, can exercise their constitutional right to vote in Ghanaian elections.

The about 3 million Ghanaian community in La Cote D’Ivoire who met the speaker during his diplomatic visit to Abidjan earlier this week, say they want to exercise their franchise.

“Mr. Speaker, we urge Parliament to facilitate the implementation of the Representation of the People’s Amendment Law (ROPAL), enabling Ghanaians living abroad to exercise their voting rights. This will give Ghanaians residing in Cote D’Ivoire a voice in national decision-making. Collaboration with Ivorian authorities is crucial to ensure a smooth electoral process,” Nana Kyeremaa Abrefi Koto, Queen Mother of Ghanaian communities in Cote D’Ivoire noted.

They are also urging government to support them to commemorate Ghana’s Independence Days.

“We propose that the embassy organize and celebrate Ghana’s Independence Day annually in Cote D’Ivoire to foster unity, strengthen community ties, and commemorate this significant event. Despite having a sizable Ghanaian community in Cote D’Ivoire, we haven’t celebrated Independence Day here in recent years. We urge the embassy and parliament to take action and make this celebration a reality,” Nana Kyeremaa Abrefi Koto, Queen Mother of Ghanaian communities in Cote D’Ivoire stated.

Meanwhile, Alban Bagbin pledged his commitment work towards the implementation of ROPAL.

“We have a Constitution Amendment Bill pending in Parliament, which we intend to pass. This bill will eliminate discriminatory provisions we’ve discussed and facilitate the proper implementation of the Representation of the People’s Amendment Law (ROPAL).”

“However, due to cost implications and human resource constraints, we must establish a management system to ensure free and fair elections, preventing fraudulent activities.”

He also pledged to celebrate Ghana’s Independence Day with them.

“I plan to celebrate Ghana’s Independence Day in Cote D’Ivoire in the coming years. I’m confident that the embassy officials will be thrilled, as I intend to bring resources to support the celebration.”

“It’s ironic that we celebrate this special day in far-flung places like the United Kingdom and the United States, but not in our neighboring country, Cote D’Ivoire how” he asked

By Ebenezer Atiemo

The post Bagbin assures of commitment towards passage of ROPAL first appeared on 3News.

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