The Director of Advocacy and Policy Engagement at the Center for Democratic Development (CDD), Dr. Kojo Asante, has weighed in on the ongoing discussions surrounding the 2024 Provisional Voters Register.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His comments during an appearance on Joy News\u2019 PM Express<\/em> on Tuesday, came on the heels of an Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting between political parties and the Electoral Commission (EC) that exposed potential vulnerabilities in the EC\u2019s IT system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The meeting also prompted a fresh demand by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for a multi-stakeholder examination of the EC\u2019s IT infrastructure – a demand that Dr. Asante described as \u201cfair\u201d and necessary to ensure the integrity of the upcoming elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr Asante\u2019s remarks underscored the importance of addressing the IT vulnerabilities within the Electoral Commission\u2019s systems, as these weaknesses could jeopardise the transparency and credibility of the December 2024 elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He noted that the EC\u2019s own admissions about the system\u2019s flaws raised valid concerns, particularly for political parties like the NDC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe NDC\u2019s request for a multi-stakeholder engagement on the IT system is a fair one,\u201d Dr. Asante said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Assurances have to be given. It\u2019s not enough for the EC to say, \u2018Yes, we\u2019ve sorted it out.\u2019 This needs to be demonstrated with technical expertise.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He stated that electoral integrity rests on more than just verbal assurances\u2014it requires a transparent process of verification involving all stakeholders, including the Electoral Commission, political parties, and IT experts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe same principle applies to the release of the corrected provisional voters register. Just like political parties will verify the voter data, they should also be involved in the process of verifying the security of the IT system,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Asante revealed that the Electoral Commission had already engaged a service provider to conduct a system-wide vulnerability test to assess and rectify any flaws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He saw this as a positive step but insisted that further engagement with political parties and technical experts was essential to ensure that the system could not be infiltrated or manipulated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s important to remember that this is not just a technical issue; it\u2019s a matter of national interest. If the IT system is vulnerable, it opens the door for manipulation. We can\u2019t afford that in an election,\u201d Dr. Asante said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n