As the voter registration exercise starts on Monday, 23rd January instant, the All People’s Congress (APC) party National Coordinator for the 2012 elections has expressed trust in the newly instituted biometric voter registration.
In an interview with this Reporter, Mr. Leonard Balogun Koroma stated that the biometric registration is good because it eliminates fraud, double registration and double voting. “As a party, we have every trust in the biometric registration system,” he stated.
He advised that the registration process should be violent free as there will be adequate security in all the registration centers across the country.
“I don’t envisage any confusion or any violence in the process,” he said; while noting that the registration period should be enough because since it lasts for about 65 days. He indicated that any extension of the exercise would put additional cost on the government.
Mr. Koroma explained that the registration exercise will take place simultaneously in all parts of the country at ward and constituency levels, noting that the system is designed in such a manner that it will not register more than 100 people per day per center.
“Our trust in the system is predicated on the recent testing exercise organized by NEC where attempts at double registration were noticed and disallowed by the biometric machines.
Asked how his party will support NEC with the voter education exercise, he disclosed that the APC party has sent out two teams; one to the south- east of the country led by the party Secretary General, Victor Foh and another team to the North-west led by the National Organizing Secretary, Alhaji M.S. Kargbo for purposes of educating the people on the biometric registration and voting system.
He added that the party also instructed its district executives across the country to develop a district registration plan that will cut across ward and constituency levels as backup to the national teams sent to the various district and regional headquarters.
“We want to ensure that our people are properly educated and sensitized about this new system of registration and voting,” he stated, noting that as a party in governance, they see it as their moral and civic responsibility to assist the NEC in educating and sensitizing the masses for their participation in such a national cause.
Asked if his party would support compulsory voter registration and voting, he responded, “I think my party will support such a move because in many countries a lot of things go with registration. For me, I think it is something worth considering by government. He however indicated that since it has not been officially promulgated, as a party they will wait and see.
The National Coordinator concluded by admitting that this year’s election “is a challenge” to his APC party, and therefore cautioned members and sympathizers not to be complacent or take the elections for granted. He however assured that as a party, the APC “is fully prepared to face its challengers in the election” given that the party has a very strong four-year record of enviable successes recorded by the party’s flag bearer and incumbent president. With a very assertive note of confidence, the APC 2012 Election Coordinator asserted, “We are very ready for the elections and we are going to win.”
By Abibatu Kamara
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