?100 Billion Needed For New Voters Register

The Electoral Commission (EC) requires ?100 billion to embark on fresh registration of voters for the 2004 elections. In a move seen as restoring confidence and credibility into the electoral process, the EC is scheduled to register all eligible voters afresh from December.

The fresh registration exercise would ensure that eligible voters would not only be provided with photo identity cards, but also have their photographs on the voters register.

Nana Kofi Karikari of the EC’s Public Affairs Department told the ''Statesman'' that the ?100 billion is subject to review based on the prevailing situation.

He said the decision to have photographs on the register is to avoid impersonation. The present register which has been a subject of complaints was compiled in 1995 with intermittent revisions.