FORMER MP CALLS FOR PROTECTION OF NEW B.V.R SYSTEM
Former MP Sasako called on the International Community to protect the integrity of the Bio-metric Voter Registration. Photo: SIBC.
As the new Biometric Voter Registration system opens in Solomon Islands today, a former MP has called on the international community to help protect the integrity of the new system.
The new system to be used in the national general election due later this year was launched by Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo last week.
Alfred Sasako said he was recently approached by someone claiming to be an Information Technology, IT, specialist engaged by the Electoral Commission to help develop the database to store voter information.
In a statement today, Mr Sasako says, he was concerned, the IT personnel told him, all IT officers working on the election have the technical know-how to block and or even remove names from the database to prevent voters from casting their votes.
He says given the case, it is possible many voters will find their names missing from the roll come election day.
Mr Sasako says this defeats the whole purpose of introducing the new bio-metrics voter registration system because every single Solomon Islands citizen eligible to vote is led to believe that the new system will end the previous registration system which was riddled with corruption and fraud.
He adds, the young says, technology exists to remove voters’ names from the roll if the price is right- equally, everyone knows who has the money.
Mr Sasako calls on the international community to intervene by providing IT specialists to oversee access to the Electoral Commission Database.