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Manual verification to be allowed in 2016 polls - EC

The move is to allow for "people whose particulars appear on the voters register but who may be rejected by the biometric verification devices," the EC has said.

Electoral Commissioner, Mrs Charlotte Osei

The Electoral Commission of Ghana has agreed for a manual verification of voters, alongside biometric verification for the 2016 elections.The move is to allow for "people whose particulars appear on the voters register but who may be rejected by the biometric verification devices," the EC has said.

This was disclosed after an IPAC meeting on Tuesday.

"The Commission informed IPAC that the panel, led by Justice V.C.R.A.C Crabbe that was engaged by the Commission to collate views on the voters register and to make recommendations to the Commission on the way forward, presented its report on 21st December, 2015," a statement signed by Mr. Christian Owusu-Parry, Acting Director of Public Affairs said.

Below are the full details of decisions taken at the IPAC meeting:

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DECISIONS TAKEN AT INTER-PARTY ADVISORY COMMITTEE (IPAC) MEETING OF 22ND DECEMBER, 2015At the IPAC meeting held on Tuesday 22nd December, 2015 the following outstanding issues from the electoral reforms recommendations were concluded.1. IPAC agreed on 29,000 polling stations to be used for the 2016 general elections instead of the 30,000 previously agreed at IPAC due to budget constraints of the EC.2. It was also agreed that manual verification of voters would be introduced, alongside biometric verification, for people whose particulars appear on the voters register but who may be rejected by the biometric verification devices.3. IPAC also accepted a working definition for “over-voting” as follows; “Over voting would be deemed to have occurred where the number of ballots in the ballot box exceed the number of verified voters.”Other issues discussed included:4. The Electoral Commission’s calendar of activities for the 2016 general elections was also distributed and accepted at the meeting.The Commission informed IPAC that the panel, led by Justice V.C.R.A.C Crabbe that was engaged by the Commission to collate views on the voters register and to make recommendations to the Commission on the way forward, presented its report on 21st December, 2015.The Commission will study the report and make a decision on the voters register as soon as practicable. It further assured the nation that it would make the report of the Crabbe panel as well as the Commission’s final position available to the public shortly.--SIGNED--CHRISTIAN OWUSU-PARRYACTING DIRECTOR, PUBLIC AFFAIRSfor: CHAIRPERSON

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