The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),
said there is no going back in the deployment of technology in the
conduct of elections in the country.
The European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES) however, said
there were reports of how technology has been used to rig
elections.
INEC had introduced the use of technology in the conduct of
elections for the first time, in 2015 when smart card reader (SCR)
machine was used in the accreditation of voters.
The commission also said it would go a step further to use
technology in the collation and transmission of election results in
the 2019 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, at a conference in the use
of technology in elections in the West and Southern African
countries in Abuja yesterday, said the deployment of technology has
empowered citizens, more than ever before, to organise, mobilise
and protect their mandates through the use of various social media
platforms.
Although he accepted that there are some challenges associated
with this, Prof. Yakubu said the benefits far outweighed the
disadvantages.
“Given the deficit of infrastructure and expertise in many
countries in our sub-regions and the regularity with which
elections are conducted, concerns have been raise about cost,
choice and effectiveness of technology.
“Furthermore, given the high stakes involved in conducting
elections in developing countries, electoral commissions must
understandably be worried about the twin issues of communication
and security, especially in situations where data reside with, and
is indirectly transmitted to the tallying centres through offshore
vendors rather than exclusively controlled within national
boundaries by the election management bodies.
“In addition, we have to contend with the disturbing but rapidly
incidence of election meddling through the deployment of
counter-technology on a global scale by state and non-state
actors,” Prof. Yakubu observed.
He, however, noted that the coming together of election managers
and experts from the west and Southern African countries, to share
experience would enable them come out with appropriate and
cost-effective technology that would increase public confidence in
the electoral process and further protect the sanctity and
integrity of the ballot.
President of the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES),
Ms. Monica Frassoni, however, noted that the introduction of
technology in the electoral and democratic process was not given,
adding that there are pros and cons associated with it.
”The perception of an impartial and competent electoral
management body is a precondition for technology to be perceived as
an aid to the perfection of the electoral process,” Frassoni
stated.
She told the conference that the use technology and Information
and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in elections has been seen
both as a facilitator and a spoiler to the process.
According to her, “all too often, in Africa, Europe and the
Americas, we hear about how ICTs has been used to influence the
election results.”
The representative of the Economic Community of West African
States, Francis Oke, advised that the deployment of technology in
elections should be scrutinised, but called for confidence
building.
Oke who noted that elections create tension in Africa,
disclosed that this problem led to the formation of ECOWAS Network
of Electoral Commission (ECONEC) to assist in information sharing
by EMBs in the sub-region.
The Executive Committee Chairperson of South African
Development Community (SADC), Advocate Notemba Tjipueja enumerated
the benefits of the deployment of technology in the conduct of
elections.
Advocate Tjipueja who is also Chairperson of the Electoral
Commission of Namibia, noted that most electoral management bodies
around the world use new technologies in the conduct of
elections.
“Coming from the Electoral Commission of Namibia, and being the
first country in Africa to use electronic voting machines, I can
briefly share some of the electoral outcomes at the introduction of
this machine.
“These include: automatic and error-free counting, replacement
of spoilt ballots, minimising of human error, speeding up the
voting process, securing of votes on control unit (and) maintaining
the secrecy of the ballot,” she added.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),
said there is no going back in the deployment of technology in the
conduct of elections in the country.
The European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES) however, said
there were reports of how technology has been used to rig
elections.
INEC had introduced the use of technology in the conduct of
elections for the first time, in 2015 when smart card reader (SCR)
machine was used in the accreditation of voters.
The commission also said it would go a step further to use
technology in the collation and transmission of election results in
the 2019 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, at a conference in the use
of technology in elections in the West and Southern African
countries in Abuja yesterday, said the deployment of technology has
empowered citizens, more than ever before, to organise, mobilise
and protect their mandates through the use of various social media
platforms.
Although he accepted that there are some challenges associated
with this, Prof. Yakubu said the benefits far outweighed the
disadvantages.
“Given the deficit of infrastructure and expertise in many
countries in our sub-regions and the regularity with which
elections are conducted, concerns have been raise about cost,
choice and effectiveness of technology.
“Furthermore, given the high stakes involved in conducting
elections in developing countries, electoral commissions must
understandably be worried about the twin issues of communication
and security, especially in situations where data reside with, and
is indirectly transmitted to the tallying centres through offshore
vendors rather than exclusively controlled within national
boundaries by the election management bodies.
“In addition, we have to contend with the disturbing but rapidly
incidence of election meddling through the deployment of
counter-technology on a global scale by state and non-state
actors,” Prof. Yakubu observed.
He, however, noted that the coming together of election managers
and experts from the west and Southern African countries, to share
experience would enable them come out with appropriate and
cost-effective technology that would increase public confidence in
the electoral process and further protect the sanctity and
integrity of the ballot.
President of the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES),
Ms. Monica Frassoni, however, noted that the introduction of
technology in the electoral and democratic process was not given,
adding that there are pros and cons associated with it.
”The perception of an impartial and competent electoral
management body is a precondition for technology to be perceived as
an aid to the perfection of the electoral process,” Frassoni
stated.
She told the conference that the use technology and Information
and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in elections has been seen
both as a facilitator and a spoiler to the process.
According to her, “all too often, in Africa, Europe and the
Americas, we hear about how ICTs has been used to influence the
election results.”
The representative of the Economic Community of West African
States, Francis Oke, advised that the deployment of technology in
elections should be scrutinised, but called for confidence
building.
Oke who noted that elections create tension in Africa,
disclosed that this problem led to the formation of ECOWAS Network
of Electoral Commission (ECONEC) to assist in information sharing
by EMBs in the sub-region.
The Executive Committee Chairperson of South African
Development Community (SADC), Advocate Notemba Tjipueja enumerated
the benefits of the deployment of technology in the conduct of
elections.
Advocate Tjipueja who is also Chairperson of the Electoral
Commission of Namibia, noted that most electoral management bodies
around the world use new technologies in the conduct of
elections.
“Coming from the Electoral Commission of Namibia, and being the
first country in Africa to use electronic voting machines, I can
briefly share some of the electoral outcomes at the introduction of
this machine.
“These include: automatic and error-free counting, replacement
of spoilt ballots, minimising of human error, speeding up the
voting process, securing of votes on control unit (and) maintaining
the secrecy of the ballot,” she added.
Read more https://nairalaw.com/2019-no-going-back-on-use-of-technology-inec/