EC to consider electronic registration

Cape Coast, Feb. 19, GNA - The Electoral Commission (EC), is considering introducing electronic registration to stem double registration and registration of minors during voter registration exercises.

Mr. David Kanga, Deputy Chairman of the EC incharge of operations, who announced this on Thursday at Cape Coast, said society was becoming complicated and the EC needed to employ sophisticated methods in dealing with electoral issues.

He was speaking at an Expanded Regional Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC), forum, organized by the EC with assistance from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and KAB Governance Consult, to "review and assess the 2008 General Election and draw lessons for the improvement of future elections". Representatives of National Democratic Congress (NDC), Democratic Freedom Party (DFP), Convention Peoples' Party (CPP) and the People's National Convention (PNC) attended the event without the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Mr. Kanga said the EC was evolving measures to ensure that its district offices automatically registered persons who would turned 18, to prevent minors from registering, when the National Identification Programme commenced.

Concerning Election 2008, he commended the role played by all stakeholders adding that it was through their collective efforts that a new government has been formed. Mr. Samuel Tettey, Central Regional Director of the EC, told the participants that their input would serve as a guide for the Commission to enhance its performance.

He said the forum was to help improve the electoral process in future to "safeguard the integrity of the ballot box". During an open forum, the participants called on the EC and the National Commission on Civic Education to collaborate to intensified public education on the electoral process. They called for measures to prevent the use of Macho men and intimidation during elections, and a more effective way of addressing electoral issues.

Officials from the NCCE, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), security personnel, returning officers as well as district officers of the EC also attended the forum.