Politics of Wednesday, 11 December 2019

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

I’m worried about current happenings at the EC – Otchere-Darko

Founder of Danquah Institute, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko Founder of Danquah Institute, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko

With less than 12 months to election 2020, stakeholders are beginning to raise concerns about the ‘inadequacies’ of the Electoral Commission in dealing with some of its challenges.

One of such stakeholders, a nephew to the president, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, has raised an alarm over the apparent delay by the Electoral Commission headed by Jean Mensa in deciding and subsequently announcing the technologies and the firms to handle new biometric data system for election 2020.

The Electoral Commission earlier this year announced plans to compile a new voters register, but further details pertaining to the EC’s procurement processes have been stalled for apparent reasons.

Some have attributed this to the lack of cooperation from opposition parties, particularly the main opposition party NDC.

But in spite of the ongoing issues surrounding the new biometric data system, Gabby Otchere-Darko has openly emphasized his worry for the delay.

He lamented on his Facebook page, Wednesday, December 11, 2019, “But, as a “veteran” campaigner for electoral reforms over the years, I was worried to hear yesterday that with less than 12 months to the next general elections the EC is yet to decide on a new entity and technology to introduce a new biometric data system for the next polls. It worries me and I hope they get it right…”

His comments come a day after some opposition parties led by the National Democratic Congress staged a walkout at the Electoral Commission’s Inter-Parties Advisory Committee meeting.

The meeting which according to the Electoral Commission was to demonstrate the usage of software for a new biometric register was botched because the main opposition party, NDC reiterated their resistance against the idea.