New Biometric Voter's Card to Cost Gambian Electoral Commission over
US$2.2M
*The Senegambia News Team* , Senegambia News
Published 01/13/2010 - 6:02 a.m. GMT
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 *Electoral Chairman admits Problems with Traditional Method*

The Chairman of the Gambian Electoral Commission, Alhajie Mustapha L.
Carayol, says plans are underway to introduce biometric voter's card before
next years general elections.

“Going through the electoral history of The Gambia, there have been a myriad
of problems encountered by the Commission, using the traditional method of
voter registration,” Mr Carayol said.

The IEC has decided to shift from the traditional voter registration to
biometric system for the forthcoming elections - presidential, parliamentary
and local government. But this, according to Carayol, will cost more than
D61 million (US$2,288,930.61) from a budget of over D152 million for the
Commission from 2010 to 2013.

Alhajie Mustapha L. Carayol was speaking during at one-day presentation and
demonstration on how to conduct the process of biometric voter’s card
registration in Banjul on January 12.

Mr Carayol said a complete and accurate voters list is an integral part  of
holding a credible election. “An election that is credible must prevent
voters from voting more than once and unregistered voters from voting,” he
said.

He also told representatives of various stakeholders that the IEC requested
technical and financial project proposals from companies to indicate how the
registration will be conducted; the gadgets to employ, the cost involved and
the time-line.

Two international Companies, *CODE Incorporated Digital Registration
Solution* <http://www.codeinc.com/index.htm>, a Canadian company
headquartered in Ottawa; and Zetes PASS <http://www.zetes.com/> of Belgium
are bidding for the lucrative contract. The two companies are expected
present and demonstrate on how to conduct the exercise in order to convince
the IEC to award them the contract.

Carayol said that seven companies (including Gambian owned, Pristine
Consulting) were invited by the Commission to make some presentations and
demonstrations on biometric voter registration, out of which the Canadian
and Belgiancompanies were short listed.

However, presentations by the Belgian and their rival Canadian contenders
were not enough to convince the IEC to award either one the contract as both
companies are further required to conduct mock registration exercises in
schools in Banjul and in the Western Region from 14th to 16th January, 2010.


According to Commissioner Carayol, the biometric system is unique because it
has been developed around unique characteristics of individuals, which
cannot be borrowed, stolen or forgotten, and forging one is practically
impossible. However, he was quick to add that except in 'replacement
surgery'.

He also argued that the biometric system is non-duplicable, because it is an
intrinsic property of an individual, which he believes will greatly help in
dealing with double registration. "Biometric registration of voters will
avail us the opportunity to cross-match the data collected to verify within
a short time that the person has not registered before", the Commissioner
said.

On security, he cited that the use of fingerprints and password for anyone
accessing the system lessens any risk of tampering with the system.

“With proper networking; one database supported by seven administrative
databases -- [as the system requires] data will be securely transferred thus
easing the problem of missing names,” he said.

He also pointed out that after the last election cycle from 2006 to 2008,
all stakeholders were consulted on the electoral process with a view to
critically analyzing it. After thorough reflection and consultations, the
Commission decided to go for biometric-based solutions for the registration
of voters.

“The need to shift from traditional method of registering voters which uses
instant polaroid cameras and films together with cold laminate pouches to a
modern and state-of-the-art technology cannot be overemphasized,” he said.

He admitted that the IEC has since its inception used traditional form of
voter registration, which includes the use of polaroid camera, counterfoil
books and voting cards issued in cold plastic laminates.

He said that old system was less secured as the voting card can easily be
forged or damaged and there were issues like double registration and missing
names.

“The IEC operates on its guiding principles of fair play, integrity,
neutrality, independence, credibility, transparency, accountability and
professionalism,” he said.

He commended the government for fulfilling its financial obligation to the
Commission as enshrined in Section 44 of the 1997 Constitution of the
Republic of The Gambia. Similarly, he thanked the UNDP, DfID and EU for
magnanimously providing resources that greatly enhanced the success of the
last election cycle.

Our correspondent says any of the two competing companies that gets the
contract with the Commission, will be expected to start processing biometric
voter’s cards with effect from January 2011.

The Company is also expected to train staff of the Commission, who will in
turn help in training a number of technicians for the sub-contracted company
to work with. “The system will also be made available to the Commission and
the know-how be imparted to its staff in order to be conducting the voter
registrations whenever the need arise,” our correspondent adds.


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