[ 2011-04-18 ]

DI concerned about delays to Biometric Voter Registration exercise
The Danquah Institute has expressed concerns about
the apparent dithering on the part of the
Electoral Commission and government in compiling a
new biometric voter register for use in the 2012
general elections.

In an interview with this paper at the weekend,
the Executive Director of DI said ‘Government
has so far not given any formal commitment to its
verbal pledge to provide the $80 million funding
estimated for the exercise. It was not stated in
the budget and it is not stated anywhere.”

Also, with well-founded concerns about the
reliability of Ghana’s electoral register in the
run-up to the 2008 elections, the Danquah
Institute is worried about the amount of time it
is taking the EC to conduct stakeholder meetings,
carry out voter education and also the actual
nationwide compilation of the register taking into
consideration the fact that Ghana is about to
employ the use of a new technology.

In the statement, DI welcomed the fact that the
Electoral Commission has chosen to use biometric
technology and has commenced the bidding process.
This, according to the EC, will go a long way to
ensuring a credible voter register as one of the
requisites to ensuring free, fair and transparent
elections in 2012.

The Danquah Institute is anxious about the fact
that the Electoral Commission has still not
settled on the so-called international experts to
scrutinise bids presented. Tenders closed last
month, with some 70 applications and some 10,
apparently, shortlisted.

The process to engage the winning bid to start
work is due to take place in June this year but
the so-called international experts who will aid
in the selection of the winner of the bid have not
even been identified, according to DI.

It can be recalled that on the 16th of February
2011, the EC invited eligible companies and firms
to express their interest in the provision of the
following services aimed at replacing the existing
Voters Register that was compiled in 2004.

However, DI is worried about the ability of the EC
to complete this exercise by its own estimated
completion date of October 2012, leaving a little
over 2 months to the elections.

“The botched conduct of 2010 district assembly
and unit committee elections makes us anxious and
we fear the EC is cutting it all to close,” said
Asare Otchere-Darko, Executive Director, DI.

Government last pledged its commitment to the EC,
on the 14th of April 2011. This was given by the
Minister for Communications, Haruna Iddrisu,
announced government's intention to support the EC
with funding.

“Our greatest fear is that, while both sides
create the impression that they are committed to
the exercise, we may all end up being beaten by
time,” Mr Otchere-Darko said.

One of the problems highlighted by the ad-hoc
committee of parliament tasked to investigate the
problems associated with the conduct of the 2010
district assembly election stated that the release
of funds for the Electoral Commission to carry it
this election.

The Ministry of Finance blamed the Electoral
Commission for not submitting its request on time
to ensure the timely release of money for the
election. The Electoral Commission on the other
hand blamed the EC for not releasing money on time
stating categorically that they had submitted
their budget on time.

This trend, according to DI, gives cause for worry
as the 2012 elections is only a year away.

DI has called for the “immediate resumption of
IPAC meetings, for political parties and other
stakeholders to put positive pressure on
Government and EC to get things going fast and
efficiently.”

The Danquah Institute also urged the Electoral
Commission not to discount collaboration with the
National Identification Authority with regards to
logistics and the collection of data as the NIA
has conducted a similar exercise regarding
National Identification Card, also referred to as
the “Ghanacard”

Source - The New Statesman

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