The flagbearer for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) John Dramani Mahama’s current voters’ register is only seven years old and an upgrade of the software could rectify the issues the Commission is dealing with at a cost of ¢200 million which is far lesser than compiling a new register.
He also noted that the Electoral Commission (EC) request for over ¢400 million is another attempt to misappropriate national funds.
Mr. Mahama said this durbar to mark the 38th anniversary of the 31st December Revolution in Winneba on the theme, “Monetisation of Elections in Ghana: ‘A threat to National Development and Genuine Democracy’.
Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission has said the new voter registration is meant to ensure appropriate and meaningful use of technology to safeguard the efficacy of the ballot count and the acceptance of results.
According to the Commission, the quality of the voters’ register played a critical role in the electoral process and an obsolete and incomplete register could not be relied on for an electoral process, which guaranteed the principle of one man, one vote.
The Commission stated that the acceptance of results among stakeholders was dependent on how accurate and efficient it identified people and correctly eliminated voter fraud.
Addressing the media in Accra, Mr. Samuel Tettey, Deputy Chairman-in-Charge of Operations noted that the country started using biometrics in its elections and had, become an important tool for voter identification and verification.
He said in a tensed political climate, where there was a total lack of trust among parties involved in the electoral process, biometrics cannot be an adequate enabler if it is not up-to-date and responsive.
Source: Kofi Atakora
