Politics of Friday, 11 March 2016

Source: tv3network.com

EC’s pilot biometric registration exercise unnecessary -NPP

Mr. Korsah, Director of Elections of the NPP Mr. Korsah, Director of Elections of the NPP

Director of Elections for the New Patriotic Party, Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah, says the pilot biometric voters' register to be conducted Saturday by the Electoral Commission is unnecessary.

The Commission on March 9 announced will test-run its upgraded Biometric Registration Kits [BVR Kits] in a pilot voter registration exercise in some selected polling stations across the country.

It said the upgrade of the kits is meant for the "impending limited registration exercise and subsequent registration exercise," and explained the data collected during the pilot registration will not form part of the national register, and allayed the fears of a possible registration.

Also, the commission said a new voters who register in Saturday's pilot exercise will still have to register in the limited registration exercise before their names could be on the national voters' register.

But commenting on the issue on 3Fm's morning show, Sunrise on Friday, Mr Korsah said it is important for the Commission to resolve all issues surrounding the voters' register instead of concentrating on the pilot registration exercise.

“The limited registration itself should not be taking place until the unresolved issues around the register are fixed,” he said on 3FM's morning show, Sunrise, hosted by Winston Amoah.

He accused the Commission of not being consultative enough and claimed it has given preferential treatment to the National Democratic Congress, which the party has refuted.

Director of Elections of the NDC Samuel Ofosu asked the NPP to stop being petty and assist the Electoral Commission to discharge its duties rather than criticizing the EC