Politics of Monday, 19 March 2012

Source: GNA

EC to produce credible biometric voter’s data

Mrs Rebecca Adjalo, Member of the Electoral Commission (EC), on Monday gave an assurance that the body would come out with a credible biometric voters’ register for the 2012 elections.

She therefore called on the public to support the commission in this effort to produce an uncompromising voters’ register.

Mrs Adjalo was speaking at a “Dialogue on biometric voter registration”, with the media at Sekondi

According to her, the biometric technology could detect multiple registration and those found to have done double registration would not be issued with voters’ identity cards.

Mrs Adjalo said the Commission will compile a list of people who have done multiple registrations and have them prosecuted.

She said biometric technology would make it possible for the EC to undertake continuous voter’s registration.

Mrs. Adaro said the technology would also eliminate impersonation because nobody can vote by proxy and fingerprints of all voters would be verified.

She said the technology could cater for people who do not have fingers.

Mrs Adjalo said it is an offence punishable by imprisonment for anybody to use force or threat to use physical and spiritual force to prevent somebody from exercising his right to register as a voter.

She said it is also an offence to forge, willfully deface or destroy any official notice, paper or document relating to the registration of voters.

Mrs Adjalo advised the people against disrupting proceedings at a registration center or in any way interfere with the work of an official connected with the registration of voters.

They should not take to the registration centres any electronic device that will interfere with the performance of the registration equipment, she said.**