Biometric Identification Hurdle in Liberia – With 2017 Implications
Published: 27/Jun/2016
Source: Front Page Africa (Monrovia)
Monrovia-Ahead of the 2017 general and presidential elections, FrontPageAfrica has gathered that the National Elections Commission (NEC) and the National Identification Registry (NIR) are both in discussion over a biometric registration process.
The NIR was established to handle issues of national identification with the issuance of biometric identification cards as one of its main objectives but ahead of the election, there are discussions on the two entities working together but according to information NEC intends to carry out biometric registration of eligible voters without the NIR. Accordingly, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is pushing for the two entities to work together on biometric registration process but NEC wants to carry out the process all alone.
FrontPageAfrica has gathered that there is ongoing discussion on carrying out biometric identification process for the pending 2017 election but the National Election Commission is pushing to handle the process apart from the NIR. According to information, President Sirleaf is pushing for the NEC and the NIR to work jointly on the biometric identification process for the data to be used for the 2017 election but one source said NEC wants to spearhead the process or even carry out manual registration.
One election expert told FPA that it is preferable to carry out an overall biometric identification process nationwide where the data for people eighteen years and above can be used for the voting process instead of carry out biometric identification for people only of voting age.
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