Biometric verification is not solution to peaceful elections-Afari-Gyan
Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC) Kwadwo Afari-Gyan has stated that biometric verification alone cannot help the country achieve credible elections during next year’s elections.
Rather, he says, vigilance and proper policing at polling stations on the day of election is the key to curtail some of the electoral irregularities that have characterized national elections since 1992.
His statement follows speculations by some political parties, organizations and individuals that biometric verification is the remedy to electoral malpractices that have threatened to destabilize the country’s peace.
Speaking at the opening of the first International Conference on Peace and Good Governance organized by the West African Parliamentary Press Corps, Dr Afari-Gyan noted that the EC has no intention of introducing a biometric voter system.
According to him, the EC is not contemplating a biometric voting system but what it hopes to do is to compile a biometric voter’s registration, explaining that there was no logical relationship between a biometric voter register and biometric voting, hence the need for campaigners of the verification mechanism to stop misconstruing the process.
Dr Afari-Gyan disclosed that funds for the implementation of the verification system has been approved but are yet to be released.
That notwithstanding, the EC has asked Ghanaians to be patient as it meets with the various political parties to settle on the modalities for applying biometric verification to the voting process next year.
Member of Parliament for Dome-Kwabenya and second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Mike Oquaye, like others demand that the system be put in place to ensuring a credible election and maintaining peace during and after the period.
Former President John Agyekum Kufuor, the New Patriotic Party and the Catholic Bishops Conference are among numerous stakeholders demanding that the electoral commission puts in place the verification system.
The Electoral Commission is for the first time compiling a biometric voter’s register which has gained the interest of all concerned. However President Mills warned last week that his government would not allow any group or individual to foment trouble ahead of the elections by beating war drums.
By: Aisha Ibrahim, e.tv Ghana
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