The Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan has described the ongoing biometric registration exercise as very successful irrespective of the technical hitches which have bedeviled the process in some parts of the country. According to the EC Chairman, just like any other technology, the breaking down of some registration equipment was largely unpredictable. He was speaking on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo on Monday. The biometric registration has been introduced to replace the existing photo I/D and to curb double registration as well as help eliminate ghost names in the voter’s register. Dr. Afari-Gyan added that despite all the numerous technical hitches, the EC has been very proactive in remedying these hitches, adding that the back-up equipment has been useful as well as technicians stationed at the various registration centers. The EC Chairman expressed grave concern about the pockets of misunderstanding recorded at some registration centers and bemoaned the use of machomen to disrupt the registration process which he described as a draw back on the process. Dr. Afari-Gyan, who has superintended five general elections in Ghana's fourth republic, described as unfortunate the lack of patience among the electorate who rushed to register at polling stations which were not their traditional polling stations. This he said, has led to low turn-out being recorded at some polling stations. The EC Chairman also revealed that equipment being used in the ongoing registration will not be the same to be used in the December 7 polls. He added that different equipment will be used, and that just like the equipment used in the biometric registration exercise, the ones to be used on December 7 can also break down. Dr. Afari-Gyan added that there is a need for a consensus among all key stakeholders as to what action to be taken in the event of any equipment breaking down on the election day. The exercise which commenced on March 24, is scheduled to end on May 5. Eight million persons have registered as at the end of the second phase against a projected 6.5 million by the EC. The third phase of the exercise will end on April 24, whereas the last phase will span from April 26 to May 5. The EC has maintained that it will not extend the exercise and that it will only consider any extension after a holistic analysis of the entire exercise.