ELECA M Launches Biometric Registration Training of Trainers in North West

An Elections Cameroon (ELECA M) workshop on how to handle biometric registration kits is on course in Bamenda since September 3, 2012 with some select 20 technical personnel drilled on understanding, maintenance, enrolment software and its functions. It is all about training trainers to train operators who, thanks to the biometric technology in the process being acquired, will collect relevant biographic and biometric data from every citizen who fulfils the stated requirements and actually turns up to be registered to vote ahead of imminent national elections.

Launching the training workshop, the Supervisor of the Biometric Registration Project who doubles as ELECAM's Head of Division for Electoral Operations and Referendums, Dr Thaddeus Menang told stakeholders that the registration kit which the operators are trained to use is a versatile tool that enables the user to capture; verify; save and eventually export to the Regional Centre for Election Biometrics, a face photograph and six fingerprints taken from each newly registered voter, in addition to biographic information required by law. The end result will be thorough processing, thanks to automated finger identification system to ensure that no voter is registered more than once, nor is issued more than one voter's card.

In all, Dr Thaddeus Menang later told Cameroon Tribune that curtains will drop on respective training sessions with some 2400 operators trained to handle available 1200 biometric registration kits with about 50 administrators in field offices to ensure superintendence. He said the kits are expected to register 60-80 voters in a working day and the project facilitates election management, minimises cost and enhances democracy .

The German partners ,Giesecke and Devrient ensure the training, featuring experts like Fathy Hamdy Ali, Andreas Walther, Abdoul Asiz Bouba and Vaho Mbiaha Thierry. The workshop rumbled off after a practical demonstration of the various stages of a biometric voter registration.

Around to salute the initiative, the Mayor of Bamenda III Council, Cletus Fonguh said it is a rare moment for stakeholders to stand by ELECAM to build the society on the principles of democracy. Among the lot who filed out at the launching event were administrators, mayors, civil society members and political stakeholders like CPDM's John B. Ndeh, SDF's Hon. Tumassang, UNDP Political Bureau member, Dr Nkwenti etc.