EC Committee admits voter register discrepancies

Accra, June 11, GNA - The Independent Investigate Committee set up by the Electoral Commission (EC) to investigate allegations of bloated voters register has concluded that there were discrepancies on the hard copies of the voter registration figures EC gave out to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP). The Committee noticed that there were discrepancies between the compact register on the CD ROMs and the hard copy in respect of the 13 constituencies in the Ashanti Region and abnormal decreases in three constituencies in the Eastern Region over a period of two years, the Committee's report made available to the press in Accra.

The report presented at a press conference organized by the EC was addressed by Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, Chairman of the Commission. The report attributed the discrepancies to operational errors which occurred in the programmes used to generate the voters' register by EC's Information Technology Department.

The Committee also observed that there were lapses in enforcing standard Data Processing and Computer Administration procedures at the IT Department, which led to the inconsistencies and variances between various statistics produced by the Department.

There were lapses in the implementation of adequate or sufficient data validation routines and procedures in the processes of the IT Department, it said, adding that, there was also insufficient coordination between the IT Department and the various departments within the Commission.

It was also revealed that at the Catholic Primary School, Yamoransa, one Identification Number B040703 was shared by another voter, and there were repetition of names and pictures of other persons at the same register.

The report said there were also repetition of names and pictures of same bio-data in another region. There were pictures and ID numbers of voters from Mfanstiman West in the range of 16256504 to 16256999 which were added to a polling station in Takoradi (A040703) thus doubling the totals in that particular polling station.

According to the findings, the EC IT Department also did not keep log books with respect to works done.

The Committee said the EC did not handle the concerns that were raised about the voters' register properly.

The Committee recommended that the EC should use the up-coming revision exercise to clean the data base and that the Commission should look critically at the human resource base at the IT Department to position it to deal with the findings of the Committee. The EC should also strengthen its system of accounting and control, and strengthen its relationship with its major stakeholders, the political parties, through the IPAC fora.

In order not to raise unnecessary tension in the body politic, the Committee urged all stakeholders to give the Commission the first opportunity to clarify issues they are in doubt with in the electoral process.

The Committee was chaired by Mr David Adeenze Kanga, EC Deputy Commissioner in Charge of Finance and Administration. Members were Mr Ebenezer Aggrey-Fynn, a Member of the Commission, Mr. K. Abaka-Quansah of the NDC and Dr David Pessey of the National Reform Party. The rest were Mr Rudolph S. K. Ayite of the West African Examinations Council, Mr Kwabena Agyei Agyapong of the New Patriotic Party and Mr John Thompson of the GCPP.

The Committee's terms of reference were to investigate the sources of the discrepancies in the 13 constituencies in Ashanti region voters' registration figures and on the basis of its findings make the necessary recommendations to forestall future occurrences of similar nature.