Extension of voter listing period is not an option

By Koki Muli

Political leaders demanding an extension should instead go to their constituencies and urge voters to register

Ghana held its presidential and parliamentary elections on December 7 with a repeat being conducted in some polling stations around the country on December 8, 2012. This election was conducted using biometric verification devices because the registration of voters was conducted using the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR), the same equipment Kenya is using for the registration of voters. This means on March 4, 2013, the elections will be conducted using these verification devices.

The BVR registration of voters was conducted in the first quarter of 2012 in 26,015 registration stations that were also used as the polling stations during the election. The Electoral Commission of Ghana (ECG) procured more BVR and verification kits than was required for registration and elections. The training was also well conducted and there was sufficient time for testing the equipment. Yet, they still had problems, though because they had sufficient time they were able to address and solve these problems.

The major problem was the breakdown of the BVR equipment because of heat or other technical problems; others just malfunctioned while others had major errors. For example, some had “loss” or “misplacement” of data. These machines were taken to the ECG headquarters and replaced or repaired while data was retrieved sometimes from other registration centres. The elections voter turnout was incredibly high – it consisted an average 79 per cent while that of registration was much higher.

We should expect even more problems in Kenya. There were only 15,000 BVR kits for over 26,000 centres and if further divided into streams; over 45,000 Registration Stations. So the IEBC decided to merge centres; in some areas even more than four centres were merged.

This means that in sparsely populated and rural areas, people have to walk 20 kilometres to get registered although the average walking distances in rural areas is between five to10 kilometres. Insufficient voter education aggravated the problem with some people associating the equipment with causing cancer and impotence. Others don’t have Identity Cards. Urban areas were given more BVR kits and hence the results that the highest registration is in these areas; where the distances are short and public transport is available.

The moving and reshuffling of Constituency Elections Coordinators (CECs) in October 2012 compounded the problem. Also, the CECs do not speak the local languages; they are also new in those areas and the locals don’t trust them; and when registration begun, they did not involve local leaders like chiefs, elders, religious institutions, doing this only last week. These former CECs had already conducted a lot of voter education and mobilised the communities in readiness for registration and so when new people unable to speak to speak local languages showed up; there were questions why the others left; slowing the process further. Although, the IEBC released the Electronic Voter Registration (the old ones) to supplement the BVR kits, it’s a case of too little too late in some areas.

The biggest problem for IEBC is time constraints – unlike Ghana, the controversial tendering process and the late start have made it impossible to extend the registration period. The election calendar is perilously at risk. The remaining time is already too tight and the IEBC has absolutely no room for manoeuvre.

Religious institutions, political and local leaders, youth and self-help groups including women’s groups should mobilise and get people out to register in the remaining days. An extension of registration period is really not an option.

The political leaders demanding an extension should instead go to their constituencies and urge their voters to register. It would greatly help if local and vernacular radio stations help IEBC in mobilising people to go and register.

The writer is an elections and constitutional law expert and lecturer, South Eastern University College South Eastern University College