Regarding the Electoral Commission’s voter registration’s IT system weaknesses, NDC expresses worries.
Following admissions made by the Electoral Commission (EC) at a Special Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting on October 1, 2024, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has expressed concerns regarding the integrity of the EC’s IT system.
These disclosures coincide with concerns that voting integrity could be jeopardised by cyberattacks as the country gets ready for the general elections in 2024.
On Tuesday, October 1, the NDC, through its General Secretary, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, issued a press release in which the party brought attention to a number of concerning problems that surfaced during the meeting.
Among these is a “EC IT system that is vulnerable to data manipulation and infiltration,” according to the NDC.
The opposition party issued a warning, stating that the legitimacy of the elections scheduled for December 2024 might be in danger if these problems were not fixed.
“Exploiting Weaknesses: A Threat to Democracy”
The potential for sensitive voter data to be accessed without authorisation by Electoral Commission officials and non-officials is one of the main worries expressed by the NDC.
The party claims that these flaws seriously jeopardise the integrity of the electoral process, particularly with regard to data manipulation.
“The Electoral Commission has acknowledged the vulnerabilities in its IT system. The NDC stated in a statement that “this is not just a technical issue, but a threat to the integrity of our democracy.”
“Criminals can exploit these weaknesses, and if not addressed immediately, we are looking at a compromised election.”
Missing and Corrupted Data: A Troubling Revelation
The opposition party also pointed to specific incidents, such as the presence of corrupted files in the 2024 Provisional Voters Register, which the EC claims to have “rectified and restored.”
However, the NDC remains sceptical about the effectiveness of these corrections.
In addition, the party criticized the EC for the creation of a “Missing Voters Register” to accommodate voters whose names were erroneously deleted.
“The fact that we have a ‘Missing Voters Register’ is worrying. It is an acknowledgement that critical data has been lost or compromised,” the NDC stated.
“We cannot allow these kinds of lapses to define the outcome of an election that millions of Ghanaians are counting on to be free and fair.”
Demands for System Examination
In response to these concerns, the NDC is calling for a multi-stakeholder examination of the EC’s IT infrastructure.
The party insists that such an audit, involving political parties and independent experts, is essential to safeguarding the election process.
“We demand a thorough, interparty examination of the EC’s IT system to address these vulnerabilities. This is not a partisan issue but a matter of national interest,” the NDC stated.
EC Promises Corrections, NDC Stays Watchful
While the NDC has accepted the EC’s promise to release a corrected version of the 2024 Provisional Voters Register for further scrutiny, it remains cautious.
The party has welcomed the EC’s decision to re-exhibit the updated register but recommended that the re-exhibition should be conducted both online and offline for greater transparency.
“We appreciate the EC’s commitment to releasing an updated register. However, we strongly urge that this re-exhibition is done both online and at exhibition centres to ensure maximum oversight and participation,” the NDC concluded.
