NDC yet to finalize date for membership registration – Kofi Adams

The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), is set to finalize modalities that will see to the review of the party's biometric register.

The party at its Unity Walk on Thursday announced that it will scrap its biometric register to pave way for re-registration.

This was part of the many recommendations by the Kwesi Botchwey post-Elections Review Committee. The committee explained that it was one of the causes of the party's defeat in the 2016 election.

The National Organizer of the NDC, Kofi Adams, who has been speaking to Citi News on the latest development, said “We are not really scrapping anything, like we do all the time; we review our situation and improve on our database. There was an old register…we went in for a new one from about 2012. Now we feel like we need to do another register again.”

He noted that the new one will have their branch executives supervising the registration.

“This one will have ownership rights of the branches and each process will be led by the branch executives as enshrined in our constitution that membership of the party is taken at the branch level. So all members would have to go through what we describe as re-registration process at the branches and be issued with their membership cards thereafter.”

“The Prof. Botchwey committee recommended that “we must do something about our membership register to improve upon its integrity. So considering all the options available in working on the register, we thought that going for this new registration which will start right from the branches and be spearheaded by the branch executives will be the best way to give ownership of that process to the party,” he added.

NDC ditches biometric registration of members

The Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the NDC, Ade Coker, who announced the review of the party’s biometric registration explained that it was one of the causes of the party’s defeat in the 2016 election.

“We are now going to ensure that the biometric registration which contributed to our downfall is going to be scrapped and a better system put in place so that the true NDC people will be identified,” Ade Coker said, when he addressed teaming members in Accra on Thursday.

Sylvester Mensah welcomes decision
The NDC's Greater Accra Regional Campaign Coordinator in the 2016 election, Sylvester Mensah, welcomed the decision to review the biometric register saying it will make the register more credible.

According to him, the current register is ridden with errors and problems which need to be addressed before the party begins internal elections.

“Of course, we have had difficulties with the integrity of our register. We have evidence of individuals whose membership of the NDC is doubtful on the register. We have had complaints from people to the effect that their names have been omitted from the register. So it is a fact that the register has challenges so there is a need for some work to be done on this register,” he added.

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By: Kojo Agyeman/citifmonline.com/Ghana