Pratt Lauds NDC’s Decision To Go Biometric

Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has expressed support for the ruling National Democratic Congress to introduce new electoral reforms into the party. Speaking on Peace FM's flagship programme "Kokrokoo", Mr. Pratt was of the view that when the ruling party undertakes crucial reforms, it will help strengthen the party's democratic structures. He was speaking in relation to recent comments by the former President Jerry John Rawlings, founder of the party and the party's General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia. Delivering a keynote address as Special Guest of Honour at the 12th edition of Deza, the annual festival of the people of Dzodze in the Volta region, former President Rawlings, on Saturday, urged the NDC to enlarge its Electoral College or victory for the party in the 2016 elections will be illusive. He opined that the party "needs some significant reform to face the challenges of the dynamic global political climate. Our current internal structures need to be reviewed. I do not think the necessary reforms required in order to clean up the image of the party are being treated with the urgency they require. If we do not act in cleaning up the party, we will, as I warned before, face a problem in 2016. “Let us not do anything to undermine the attempt to hand over the party to you the people. To do so, to attempt to undermine it, will be risking the life of the NDC. The NDC must get back into the hands of its power base." He continued that the electoral college of 20000 delegates was not representative enough of the views and aspirations of the members at the grass root of the party. He believed "the decision of the NDC must not emanate from only 20,000 people. We want 150,000. Give us 150,000." On the flipside, the General Secretary of the party indicated in an interview with Peace FM's morning show host Kwame Sefa Kayi that the party will rather introduce an entirely new form of registration for its members and voting of candidates at primaries and scrape the Electoral College altogether. He hinted that the party will very soon introduce "biometric technology" to register the members to prevent non-party members from taking part in the election of Parliamentary candidates. Addressing the issue, Kwesi Pratt advised that the adoption of a biometric process of voting by the NDC would help eliminate any inappropriate deals or offers which the candidates make to the electorates in order to clinch victory. He also noted that the NDC's approach is first of its kind and if well conducted, will boost the progress of the party. “It will be the very first time that every card-bearing member will be allowed to vote…So, if you’ll do it, then, you must ensure that it’s done well. It’s not an easy thing and it’s also very expensive…It’s a good thing and you should continue to do it.”

Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana