As Ghana prepares for its December 7th general elections, the role of the Electoral Commission (EC) becomes ever more critical in ensuring the delivery of a free, fair, and transparent electoral process.
Central to this mission is the establishment of a robust data and Information Technology (IT) system, which forms the backbone of modern electoral management.
In an era where technology drives efficiency and accuracy, a strong IT infrastructure is not just a luxury but a necessity for the Electoral Commission.
Accordingly, the NDC has called for a comprehensive, multi-stakeholder, and interparty review of the Electoral Commission’s IT system.
According to the General Secretary of the NDC, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, this initiative seeks to bring together political parties, civil society organizations, and technical experts to examine the system thoroughly.
“Clearly, the vulnerabilities in the IT system of the Electoral Commission can be exploited by criminals to compromise the integrity of the December 07, 2024 elections if not addressed
“A vulnerable EC IT system that is susceptible to data manipulation and infiltration from officials and non-officials of the Electoral Commission who have access to login credentials”.
Fifi Fiavi Kwetey
The NDC further maintained that the goal is to address the vulnerabilities that the EC itself has acknowledged, which were responsible for several of the anomalies the NDC has highlighted.
Fifi Kwetey indicated that by involving a diverse range of stakeholders, the review aims to ensure greater transparency, build public confidence, and enhance the credibility of the electoral process by fixing these critical flaws before future elections.
As Ghana approaches the December 7th general elections, the need for the Electoral Commission to implement a robust data and IT system cannot be overstated.
Consequently, a system as such is key to ensuring the accuracy of voter registration, the integrity of electoral data, and the timely transmission of results.
Moreover, it enhances transparency, accountability, and the EC’s capacity to manage crises effectively.
NDC Raises Concerns Over EC Errors
Furthermore, the NDC raised significant concerns regarding the Electoral Commission’s erroneous inclusion of previous voter transfers in the current 2024 transfer list, along with the presence of corrupted files in the 2024 Provisional Voters’ Register.
The NDC argued that these irregularities could undermine the integrity of the electoral process if left unaddressed.
According to Fifi Kwetey, while the Electoral Commission has asserted that these issues have been resolved and the affected data fully restored, the NDC remains skeptical of the EC’s actions.
As such, NDC also continues to call for transparency in how these discrepancies were resolved, to foster greater trust in the overall election management process.
“Following the Special Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) Meeting held today, Tuesday, 1st October 2024, to deliberate on the 2024 Provisional Voters Register, the Functional Executive Committee (FEC) of the National Democratic Congress deems it fit to restate the following significant admissions by the Electoral Commission of Ghana: Illegal transfer of voters due to the lack of a liveliness test technology, as occurred in Pusiga and other Constituencies; Deleted voters who the Commission wishes to place on a Missing Voters register”.
Fifi Fiavi Kwetey
However, Fifi Kwetey stated that, in light of this context, the Functional Executive Committee (FEC) of the NDC has deliberated on the matter and agreed to accept the Electoral Commission’s commitment.
Meanwhile, the EC has promised to release the corrected and updated version of the 2024 Provisional Voters’ Register to political parties for scrutiny within one week.
As such, Fifi Kwetey indicated that the FEC also welcomes the EC’s decision to re-exhibit the updated Provisional Voters’ Register.
Nonetheless, the NDC recommends that the re-exhibition exercise be conducted both online and in person at the designated exhibition centers to ensure broader accessibility and transparency.
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