Jean Mensa
The Electoral Commission (EC) has announced the publication of guidelines for the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections on its website, ensuring transparency and accessibility for all stakeholders.
This unprecedented step aims to address potential irregularities during the counting and collation process, including over-voting, mismatched reconciliation, and incomplete or incorrectly filled-in results forms.
For the first time, the EC will make these guidelines available to the public, not just election officers.
This move is part of the commission’s efforts to enhance transparency and build trust in the electoral process.
According to the EC, the guidelines will also be developed into a postcard format for easy reference by election officers and observers.
Furthermore, the EC will publish detailed polling station results, including all levels of collation, on its website within 21 days of the election. This will enable individuals to challenge results in court, if necessary, using official data.
Dr Serebour Quaicoe, Director of Training at the EC, announced these measures at a forum organized by the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG) in Accra.
The event brought together representatives from political parties, civil society organizations, and the media to discuss clear guidelines and procedures for addressing potential irregularities during the election.
He said the EC’s commitment to transparency and accountability is a response to the 18 recommendations made by the European Union Election Observation Mission after the 2020 elections.
These recommendations aimed at strengthening Ghana’s democratic framework.
-BY Daniel Bampoe