Liberia Understudies Ghana’s Electoral System
A four-member high-powered delegation from the Liberia National Electoral Commission (NEC) has completed a study tour of Ghana’s electoral system ahead of their elections in 2023.
The team, which was led by the Chairperson of the Liberia NEC, Madam Davidetta Browne Lansanah, aimed at seeking support for the adaptation of biometric technology for the next general election in Liberia.
The five-day visit afforded the team the opportunity to also learn about the electoral laws of Ghana and how Liberia could undertake electoral reforms.
Usefulness
Madam Lansanah said the team was visiting Ghana to learn about the usefulness of the biometric system, cost implications in setting up the process and to explore the possibility of resource and technology sharing between the two countries.
She noted that Ghana had garnered experience with the use of biometric systems and lessons that had helped its elections to be transparent, fair and credible.
Madam Lansanah said more technicians from the NEC would be sent to Ghana to acquire practical experience.
Journey
The Chairpersons of Ghana’s Electoral Commission, Mrs Jean Mensa, took the team through the journey of the establishment of Ghana’s Electoral Commission in 1993 and its processes from the days of the use of opaque boxes through to the use of transparent ballot boxes adopted in the year 2000.
The chairperson recounted how in March 1994, the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) was inaugurated and how it had been maintained and helped the commission to discharge its mandate.
Mrs Mensa also spoke about why stakeholders agreed to the adoption of biometric registration and verification of voters as a measure to halt fraud and other abuses in the electoral process and enhance the credibility of elections and their outcomes.
She also took them through how the commission employed technology options such as facial verification, shortcode for checking biodata details verification in the register and management of queues at registration and voting centres.
The Director of Electoral Services, Ghana, Dr Serebour Quaicoe, spoke about the commission’s plans to ensure that electoral materials were ready on time and how elections were organised successfully at 38,622 polling stations nationwide.