ELECTORAL COMMISSION OFFICE RECEIVED 17-MILLION DOLLARS
The Electoral Commission Office has received 17-million dollars from the Government for its Biometric Voters Registration Project.
The Electoral Commission Office has received 17-million dollars from the Government for its Biometric Voters Registration Project.
Acting Chief Electoral Officer, Alphonsus Pero told SIBC News the money was released from the Finance Ministry yesterday.
Mr. Pero says now that funds are available, his Office can carry out the Bio Metric Voter Registration exercise.
“This delay is caused by funding problems as we know, actually government has no problems with funding the project. I think the time for us to have dialogue and processes needing thorough discussion has caused the delay. But now that we have 17-million dollars in our account we will complete the awareness program currently going on the the provinces. Hopefully this program will be completed by the end of February”.
Meanwhile, the Acting Chief Electoral Officer said even with the delay to start the bio metric voter registration, his Office is still on track and expect to complete the registration exercise before this year’s national general elections.
Registration for the new bio metric voter system was scheduled to start on January 27 but with the delayed funding the Commissioner of the Electoral Commission has set the new date to March 10.
Alphonsus Pero told SIBC News today, the delay to start the bio metric voter registration won’t affect the preparations for the National General Election.
“If we started on 1oth February, we should be able to complete the work on 18th August, which still falls within the time when parliament will dissolve in September”, he said.