The Electoral Commission (EC) has refuted claims by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) that it has obtained the serial numbers of the BVR kits deployed in the limited voter registration exercise.
Last week, the NDC’s Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, demanded the serial numbers, but the EC declined the request, insisting that releasing these numbers to external parties could jeopardise the security and integrity of the electoral system and its operations.
Speaking on The Probe on JoyNews, the Deputy Director of Elections and IT for the NDC, Dr. Rashid Tanko, asserted that the party has obtained to the serial numbers.
“We’re monitoring everything that is going on at the Electoral Commission, their district offices, and their registration centres. Before the EC could compile the register, we would already have it. Thankfully, we have the serial numbers of every BVR,” he said on Sunday.
However, the Director of Electoral Services at the EC, Dr. Serebour Quaicoe, disputed this claim, noting that no one can acquire the BVR kits serial numbers without the Commission’s approval.
“I will be surprised if they have it because it is almost impossible,” he said on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Tuesday.
He also questioned the NDC’s motive for wanting the serial numbers of the kits.
According to Dr. Quaicoe, the serial numbers of the BVRs cannot help track the number of registered voters.
“Each day, before the registration starts, you are given a start-of-day report, and it is daily. Another is released at the close of day. This close-of-day report gives you the list of people who registered and the time that they registered with their ID numbers. So if you sum it up, you’ll have the total number of people who have registered.
“Now, these details will not be provided by having the BVR serial numbers. So for me, unless there is another reason, but their argument that they want to track the registration, it does not work like that,” he stated.
The ongoing limited voter registration exercise has been marred by violence, allegations of registration of minors, and bussing.
Dr. Serebour Quaicoe said individuals identified to have guaranteed registrants far beyond the accepted threshold will soon be arrested and prosecuted.
ALSO READ:
How the NPP will win the 2024 elections – Sammy Awuku reveals [Listen]
Vehicles, road users stranded as flood takes over Weija old barrier