The Electoral Commission has rubbished allegations that the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) party has access to its database.
Presidential Candidate of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) Nana Akufo Addo made the allegation in an interview on Tamale-based radio station, Radio Justice during his two-day ‘Rise and Build Tour’ of the Northern Region.
He insisted that the process used by the NDC in the just ended biometric registration exercise shows that the party has been given access to the voters’ register database.
“The NDC is taking an alleged biometric registration of its members but when the NDC member goes to the point of registration, all he is asked to give are his voter ID details. He comes back in two weeks time and he has a biometric register which contains all his biometric data.
“Where are they getting that from? It is obvious they have access to the electoral commission and to the register”, he continued.
He said if the NDC can have access to the EC’s database, then that is a very dangerous matter adding, “we don’t have that access, it means that the register can be manipulated”.
The NDC has dismissed the allegation; however the NPP still stands by its claim.
But speaking to Kasapafm’s reporter Kwaku Opare Adesuokor, the Director of Public Affairs of the Electoral Commission, Christian Owusu Parry stated that the NPP’s claim cannot be true, adding that under no circumstances will any party have the EC’s database.
“It is not possible for any party to be in possession of the EC’s database. I can assure you no party has it. What we do is that, before any election we provide a copy of the voters register which does not contain bio data of voters to all registered political parties. We give the voters register out because the law requires us to do so”.
The NPP has called for a compilation of a new voters register.
According to the party, the current register is plagued with names of foreigners and it is important for a new one to be created before the general elections in 2016.
Source: www.dailyviewgh.com
