Election administrators in Africa are meeting in Accra with the sustainability of biometric technology in election management in Africa high on the agenda.
Participants in the three-day conference, under the auspices of the Association of African Election Authorities (AAEA), are sharing experiences of their respective countries in respect of the application of biometric technology in election management.
The election administrators are also seeking to take full advantage of the strengths in the technology, while finding solutions to its weaknesses, as they endeavour to inject confidence and credibility in African elections.
The Accra conference is, therefore, expected to mark a watershed in election administration in Africa as many countries turn to biometric technology to redeem their elections from volatility.
African elections & biometric technology
Elections in many African countries had ended in disputes, sometimes civil conflicts, as losing candidates challenged the results based on various reasons, including perceived lack of transparency, alleged rigging and irregularities.
To enhance confidence in the electoral system, many African countries have applied the biometric technology with significant success.
The Chairman of the Electoral Commission of Ghana, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, said at the opening of the conference on Monday that “without a doubt, technology can be immensely helpful”.
He also said technology had been used in election administration for many purposes such as solving problems of efficiency, credibility and acceptance of results; managing large-scale data (voter registration data/production of ballots/logistical planning), and conducting voter registration/collecting views and complaints of stakeholders.
Risks inherent in technology
Dr Afari-Gyan, who is also the Executive Secretary of the AAEA, however, noted that as useful as technology could be in election administration, “there is no doubt at all that the use of biometric technology, in particular, comes with risks right from the tender process. He mentioned risks associated with maintenance and support in the field, storage, preservation and security of data, and the sustainability of the entire system”.
He said such risks needed to be mitigated by competent professionals at the very onset of the introduction of technology, adding, “In a democracy, the fundamentals of a good election include thorough preparations, accuracy, transparency and fairness”.
“Technology should not promote efficiency at the expense of these fundamentals of good election. For this reason, the adoption of technology raises not only technical issues, but other issues as well, including operational issues and legal issues relating to the rights of the voter,” he remarked.
Comparing notes
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms Hannah Tetteh, who was the Guest of Honour, lauded the organisers of the conference, saying it was important to learn from each other with the view to strengthening the democratic process.
