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.
“If you do biometric registration for those eighteen years and above for this election, it means you will have to do it every three to five years for those who will be reaching 18 years. Once the biometric is done for all, you do not need to worry when there is by-election or election in another six years”, the election expert said.
The National Election Commission is allotted an amount of US$20 million in the draft 2016/2017 national budget for the conduct of the 2017 general and presidential election.
Apart from huge international support to the NEC during every election, the US$20 million is the amount the government is contributing to the electoral process.
In the draft national budget 2016/2017, the NIR is allotted US$550,000. As its expected deliverable for 2016/2017, it is stated in the budget that the NIR will identify and secure a building for office space; furnish building and set up offices; establish data centers; and make the institution functional, ready to serve the public. There is no such expected deliverable as carrying out biometric registration for citizens.
In Liberia there is no national identification program where the citizens have national identification cards to distinguish them from foreign nationals. The situation makes it difficult to track those who commit crimes or other offenses or to easily do background checks on people seeking employment, amongst others.
The Birth Certificate program at the Ministry of Health is disjointed to the extent that children are not issued birth certificates at the time of birth at various medical facilities across the country.
Passports issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are the major documentary evidence that shows a Liberian from a non-Liberian.
Since not all Liberians are capable of acquiring a passport it means the easier way of identifying a Liberian from a non-Liberian is the accent.
Recently the government embarked on a program to carry out biometric identification for all citizens with the establishment of the National Identification Registry (NIR).
The NIR is charged with the mandate to handle the issuance of biometric identification cards to all Liberians and J. Tiah Nagbe, the Executive Director of the New registry told a Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism Press briefing recently that in spite of the challenges, before the end of the year NIR will register every citizens and foreign residents in Liberia.
“Of course the citizens and foreign residents who will carry the cards will themselves derive personal benefits as well. For example, in the near future, national ID cards will be used as official travel documents within ECOWAS countries, as a result of a recent decision of the head of States of ECOWAS”, Nabge disclosed.
The executive Director also said the National Identification Registry ID card will in time be used for national identification and also be used for general election.
“If it is not used for the 2017 election it will be the last time it will not be used for election”, Nabge said.
He added that base on the type of biometric ID card one will use the card for five to ten years.