Wednesday, November 12, 2008

aims for digital voters

 ID cards in 2010



By Guardian Reporter, Zanzibar

The Zanzibar Electoral Commission has unveiled plans to digitise voters` identity cards before the next general election. 

ZEC Director Salum Kassim Ali said at a press briefing here yesterday that the aim was to modernise and generally improve the electoral process. 

He was speaking on preparations for the updating of the permanent voters` register before the 2010 election. 

The plan would involve the changing of all voters` identity cards and the encoding of information in the computer system to be used in the election, he said. 

Ali explained that an Israeli company, Ontract Innovation Limited, had been commissioned to do the job. 

He noted that ZEC officials were being lined up ``through special training aimed at acquainting them with the technology to be used`` so that they assist Israeli experts in the work for greater efficiency. 

According to the director, the updating of the voters` register would start in January next year in Pemba and run for six months. 

The exercise is expected to be implemented using the new digital system. 

He added that, in line with the Zanzibar Constitution, the registration of Isles residents who had reached voting age would run from April to May 2010.

  • SOURCE: GUARDIAN

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