Representatives of the Political Parties have walked out of a meeting called by the Electoral Commission. The meeting was to discuss the biometric registration process the EC is considering implementing for next year's general elections. The Electoral Commission had procured a new biometric registration technology and wanted the political party representatives to inspect them but the reps were unimpressed with the manner and processes the EC used in procuring the technology and have thus decided to boycott the meeting. The New Patriotic Party rep, Mathew Opoku Prempeh who confirmed the walk-out to Joy News said the NPP will not be part of a deliberate plan by the EC to circumvent procurement procedures. He explained whilst the political parties will not want to be part of the procurement processes by the EC, their views must be heard in the selection and undertaking of the biometric registration process. According to him the EC has flagrantly acted in breach of the procurement law in buying the biometric technology for which reason the NPP will not be part of that illegality. “I would rather walk out and go and tell my party that the EC is taking this country down a path that may not be well for us,” he said. He said they were made to sign an undertaking or a “golden rule” by the EC before the meeting that they were only to observe and could not make any comment. The People’s National Convention representative Bernard Mornah described as “not normal” the EC’s undertaking demanded of the political party reps. “...I raised a protest and said this is not acceptable. I cannot walk into a meeting and then not be allowed to talk. I don’t know in which part of our constitution where my right of speech has been restricted except by the EC’s attendance sheet.” He said after almost three hours of waiting, the deputy chair of the EC finally commenced the meeting and asked the political part reps to go and observe the new technology. That he considered unacceptable, he said, adding, “My party did not just send me out there to come and sit down and watch how things are demonstrated." The EC is yet to officially react to the new development.