We don’t plan on using manual system, IEBC says

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) plans on compiling biometric information of all voters such as fingerprints to use as a back-up in case of technology failure.

This stand is likely to assuage Cord, whose leaders led by Raila Odinga have demanded nothing short of electronic voter identification to root out “ghost voters” to ensure a credible General Election in August.

The opposition has already signalled it would resort to mass action, following passage of the Election Laws (Amendment) Bill by the Senate on Thursday, arguing that the Bill, which is ambiguous on what method the IEBC should resort to, provided for a manual back-up.

Jubilee’s triumph over their Cord senators, repeating a similar feat in the National Assembly two weeks earlier in passing the contentious amendments, angered Cord which has been at the forefront of opposing amendments to the negotiated law, as drafted by the defunct Select Committee on electoral reforms.

Speaking to the Sunday Nation on Saturday, IEBC spokesman Andrew Limo said the commission does not aspire to use manual systems, but would instead employ biometric means of voter identification, borrowed from the Ghanaian experience, now the epitome of elections management success and electoral democracy in the continent.

“Contrary to the narrative that the election technology debate has generated, IEBC does not aspire for manual systems. In the unlikely, isolated event that we encounter technological challenges, we have proposed guidelines and protocol to be followed. Our mitigation procedures on identification of voters by biometric means, which borrows largely from the Ghanaian practice, will be clearly communicated,” he said.

“With regard to transmission of results, the Commission will work with the Communications Authority to ensure that technological solutions are found for those areas with inadequate or no network signal footprints. What we are addressing are the exceptions, not the rule,” he continued.

Mr Limo said the use of biometrics would entail using computer “printouts” which are unique to an individual voter.

“You can print data from the same machine such as names and thumbnail photos of individuals,” he said.

After claiming that the 2007 and 2013 elections were rigged, which was, however, disputed by independent observers and the Supreme Court, Cord’s stand is that nothing short of an electronic voter identification and transmission of results would be tolerated to ensure the exercise is credible.

During debate on controversial amendments to the elections law, Cord senators read mischief in the decision to leave sections that provide for a back-up system in case of technology failure vague, only providing for a “complimentary mechanism” to be used in case of technology failure.

Opposition politicians have stated that the Bill, passed by both Houses and now awaiting presidential assent to become law, should have provided for an electronic system, to clear any doubts that a manual register, whose integrity it has questioned in the past, would not be pulled out of the bag and used to identify voters.

However, Senate Majority Leader Kithure Kindiki said MPs would still have another chance to debate the proposed mechanism that will be used as a back-up, once IEBC prepares regulations for conduct of the General Election, which would be brought to Parliament for approval.

He said the law passed by the Senate is supposed to be flexible enough to allow the commission some room and independence, to prepare regulations which will assist in ensuring the elections are free, fair, credible and verifiable.

He also criticised Cord, which has planned a meeting of all aspirants to decide the “next course of action” amidst a likelihood of mass action, for suggesting that it was a manual back-up that would be used.

“The Bill provides for a complimentary mechanism for voter identification, tallying of votes and transmission of results and there is no mention of a manual back-up. This is a creation of those against such a mechanism so as to cloud the process of preparing for the elections,” he said.

Cord senators said the complimentary system was another word for manual back-up and should be stated as such but Mr Kagwe said he would be quoting the law and that the IEBC would have the final say on the matter.