The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has congratulated the Electoral Commission (EC) on the success with which it has conducted the voter biometric registration exercise across the country within a relatively tight timeframe.
According to the party, “Whilst we pat the EC’s shoulders for a job well done, we would at the same time like to register our concerns, based on our agents’ experiences and media reporting on the ground in constituencies and polling stations across all 10 regions, of the challenges and inadequacies which characterised the implementation of BVR in a number of Registration Centres, and which will have played a significant role in delays, bottlenecks, raised tempers, occasional violence, and public disquiet about the actual and perceived inefficiency of Registration officials in some areas.’
The NPP cited the incidence of computer, printers and equipment breakdown, power outages, shortages of supplies including laminates, papers, challenge forms, inks and toner cartridges, as some challenges that threatened to erode public confidence in the process.
But it also noted that training provided for Registration staff fell short of the standards expected of a massive national exercise of this nature. This, according to the NPP resulted in instances where staff had little clue of the process, never mind their capacity to explain the process in simple terms to members of the public.
“The lack of adequate security at some Registration centres led to pockets of intimidation by local thugs and the hijacking of processing equipment, which caused delays to, fear and anxiety among people attending those centres, some of whom were assaulted and prevented from exercising their democratic right to register.”
It said, ‘Against the backdrop of the shortcomings we have catalogued above, the NPP urges the EC to investigate the many issues raised by the various political parties and social groups with a view to adequately addressing them and providing credible responses before the December general election.”
The NPP also said it recognised the challenges the EC has faced in implementing the BVR for the first time inGhana, even though they (EC) had the experiences ofNigeria,Ugandaand other African and developing countries to draw on.
In bringing their views, the party called on the EC to use the challenges identified during this maiden BVR exercise with a view to improving and building a robust Biometric Verification structure able to deliver the utmost transparent voting and results package for the upcoming December general election.
The NPP further assured the EC of its unconditional support in the call for government to make available all the needed resources and funding to ensure and enable the EC to conduct a successful general election in December 2012.
