Mosquito Predicts War

General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia says current problems associated with the ongoing biometric registration exercise prove the nation is not ready to use the biometric verification system. He explained that any attempt to use biometric verification for the upcoming general election could lead to civil war. �If Ghanaians want to doubt my prediction, they should consider what is going on with the ongoing biometric registration; the tension, frustration and anger that are being expressed by some people who think they are not being treated fairly are very clear indications,� he said. The NDC General Secretary made these statements on Peace Fm in Accra on Tuesday during its morning show dubbed �Kookrokoo� to officially respond to what has become a thorny issue with regards to Ghana�s quest to use a biometric register during the December general election. Members of the two major parties in Ghana, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the NDC have been divided over the inclusion of a biometric verification system during the elections. While the NPP seems to be for the verification exercise, the NDC has vehemently protested against any move to verify the identity of voters before they cast their ballots. He said there are currently only 7,000 machines being used for the registration exercise compared to the 30,000 needed for the general elections at all polling stations. �If some polling stations have started encountering challenges with the biometric registration what makes Ghanaians believe the country will be at peace during the election if the biometric verification is adopted?� he quizzed. �My problem is that Ghanaians have ten days for the biometric registration and have only a day for the biometric verification so if some of the machines encounter challenges it would be difficult to resolve as election day cannot be extended,� he said. The NDC�s General Secretary explained that his party did not have any problem with the biometric registration since it would help prevent multiple registrations and a blotted register. �However we are of the view that the country is not yet ready for the biometric verification and therefore we want the Electoral Commission to follow the old trend,� he said The opposition NPP had earlier declared that a biometric verification was the solution to a peaceful election.