You're demanding too much, give EC independence to do their job - Prof. Smart Sarpong to NDC

Prof. Smart Sarpong has criticized the opposition National Democratic Congress for demanding that the Electoral Commission share the serial numbers of their biometric machines with the party.

The National Democratic Congress accuses the Electoral Commission (EC) of attempting to collude with the ruling New Patriotic Party to rig the December polls and keep them in power.

They also maintain that the EC is manipulating the ongoing limited registration exercise; therefore, they demand the serial numbers of the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) kits currently deployed in the field. However, the Commission has refused to share the numbers with the party, stating it would compromise the integrity of the registration exercise.

In response to the NDC, the commission said, "The commission wishes to highlight that the integrity and security of our electoral process are paramount. Each BVR kit, as a critical component of this process, is assigned a unique serial number. This number plays a crucial role in the operation of these devices, particularly in the generation of activation codes essential for their functionality, as well as tracking their location and movement."

Commenting on the issue during a panel discussion on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show, Prof. Smart Sarpong, a Senior Researcher, sided with the EC for refusing to share the numbers with the NDC.

He noted that releasing the numbers is akin to giving the NDC the BVRs to operate in their homes.

He argued, "Whether missing or not, I think the NDC is demanding too much if they go for the serial number... because having the serial number of the gadget is just as good as having the machine itself."

Prof. Sarpong urged the opposition party not to interfere with the work of the Electoral Commission, stressing, "Give the EC some independence to do their job."