Biometric registration would be free and fair – EC Official

Ms Lydia Agyiri, New Juaben Municipal Director of the Electoral Commission (EC), has assured the political parties that the upcoming biometric voters registration exercise would be free and fair.

She said the EC had prepared adequately to conduct the first ever biometric registration exercise for the 2012 general election.

Ms Agyiri gave the assurance in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Koforidua, at the weekend, after visiting pilot biometric registration centres in the New Juaben South Constituency.

She said since the exercise began on Saturday, her outfit had not encountered any difficulty.

Ms Agyiri with the biometric system, double registration would be a thing of the past.

She said her outfit had received all the necessary equipment for the major exercise, which begins on March 24.

Ms Agyiri said so far she had received 48 biometric registration machines to cater for the 40 cluster centres within the municipality, which she noted would make the exercise smooth.

She expressed satisfaction about the progress of the pilot exercise, adding that it was the indication of the preparedness of Ghanaians to register towards the December general election.

Dr Mark Assibey –Yeboah, New Patriotic Party Parliamentary Candidate for New Juaben South, who was at the registration centre to observe proceedings told the GNA that he was satisfied with the system.

He appealed to the EC to ensure that shortage of registration materials would not occur at the various registration centres during the exercise so that the credibility of the voters register would not be questioned.

Source: GNA