The Electoral Commission has been asked by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to call an urgent meeting of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) to discuss concerns related to missing voter registration kits and other pertinent matters.
The call was made in response to EC’s failure to schedule the IPAC meeting for March 27, 2024, as part of its preparations for the December 7 presidential and parliamentary elections.
In an official letter to the Electoral Commission, Hon. Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, General Secretary of the NDC, expressed the party’s deep-seated concerns.
The NDC emphasized that there is a deficiency of Biometric Verification Devices (BVDs) and that there is a mysterious disappearance of five laptops, among other essential components from Biometric Verification Registration kits. These issues could potentially compromise the electoral process’s fairness and transparency.
The following regrettable incidents at the Commission have come to the knowledge of the NDC:
“Biometric Verification Device (BVD) Shortage” One part of the Biometric Verification Registration kits (five computers) is missing. The letter stated, “The NDC’s leadership, members, supporters, and sympathizers are concerned about the current state of affairs and feel that these regrettable incidents pose a serious threat to free, fair, and transparent elections in the upcoming general elections in 2024.”
Kwetey underlined in the letter, “We urgently request the convening of an emergency Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting in light of these critical developments.”
“We cannot compromise on the integrity of our electoral process. To protect the democratic values that underpin our country, we must take decisive action, Fiifi Kwetey declared.
Concurrently, the Electoral Commission (EC) has denied any occurrence of seven Biometric Verification Devices (BVDs) being stolen from its outlets.
Samuel Tettey, the Deputy Chairperson in charge of Operations, stressed to the media during a news conference in Accra in March that no BVDs had been reported stolen.
He did, however, admit that during a normal maintenance procedure, it was discovered that five computers had been stolen from the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) Kits.
Explaining further how the BVR Kits and the Commission’s Registration Data Systems differ from one another, Mr. Tettey said that the former are stand-alone devices that include a laptop, camera, scanner, and printer.
Contrary to suggestions, he claimed that these kits function independently and cannot be used to influence election results.
Although Mr. Tettey acknowledged the importance of BVR Kits in voter registration, he emphasized that certain activations are necessary for them to work properly.
In addition, Mr. Tettey assured the public that measures are in place to preserve the legitimacy of elections managed by the Commission and reiterated the integrity of the EC’s systems and the electoral process.
