Aside from the mysterious lacking of names from the sign-up, there is a boil inflammation in our armpits which will undoubtedly explode if it is not opened now. It is the avoidable guide verification provision made by the EC.
In accordance to the EC, verification officers can decide to verify men and women manually if their fingers are not able to be confirmed or facial recognition fall short. This solution still left to the discretion of the verification officer is risky simply because it can be hugely abused.
Even though the Supreme Court docket ruled that no voter can be denied the suitable to vote, it is for the reliability of the voters sign-up that we made the decision to compile a biometric sign up. This implies a citizen’s biometric information are captured and verified ahead of he or she votes. In this respect the Electoral Commission advised us it was introducing facial recognition to the biometric necessities so that need to the fingers fall short to validate, the deal with absolutely can not fail by the a person to just one matching procedure. This program simply just means handbook verification need to not be an solution simply because it is not biometric.
Unusually, for the duration of the voters register exhibition, the EC did not deploy the biometric verification gadgets at all the polling stations but somewhat engaged in handbook verification of voters on the register. This suggests an intention to have out manual verification on voting day irrespective of the BVDs availability since the discretion is given to the verification officers.
Figuring out our penchant for electoral irregularities in particular at a time we witnessed how this EC executed a by-election at Ayawaso West Wuogon previous year, Ghanaians must be scared of this manual verification technique. It is heading to open up the floodgates for several voting, permitting unqualified individuals to cast ballots and render the entire exercising of biometric verification nonsense.
We should be dependable in our technique to sanitizing our electoral program. Finger and facial verification are pretty enough for the function. There is no have to have for resorting to a handbook technique. It is only by biometric verification that people who now voted can be detected specifically when the ruling occasion is becoming speculated to have procured phony indelible inks which can be erased easily which would be despatched to their strongholds. There will be confusion at the polling centres because the authority to grant handbook verification will be contestable. Any beneficiary of this manner is possible to deal with pointless troubles from celebration brokers who suspect foul perform.
Considering the fact that the EC confident us that it was the have to have for a finish biometric method that necessitated the compilation of the new voters register, the use of handbook verification will defeat any argument for the compilation. It will justify the critics’ argument that the state threw away in excess of GHc150million on a unnecessary new sign up. We will be justified in concluding that the EC is intentionally manipulating the technique to favour the ruling New Patriotic Occasion. Treatment will have to be taken involved voices need to discuss now the go is ominous we simply cannot ensure peace in Ghana with these anomalies prevailing.
Manual verification have to not be used. The finger is more than enough for verification of a voter. In the absence of the finger, the facial area of the voter are not able to are unsuccessful until the EC wishes us to imagine it bought equipment not healthy for objective. NO TO Manual VERIFICATION!
By: Cyril Duodu & Desirable Mustapha
The sights and viewpoints expressed herein are the private sights of the contributors and do not mirror the sights of the firm Pulse.
