US Ambassador Virginia Palmer and EC Chairperson Jean Mensa
Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Jean Adukwei Mensa and US Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia Evelyn Palmer, have held talks at a private meeting in Accra.
The two recently met to discuss preparations for this year’s district level election as well as the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections, as the country edges closer to the polls.
It is understood the move was to ensure that the process is free, fair, and non-violent, and the talks were said to be cordial.
Types of Elections
Ghana has national and local government elections held every four years to elect various leaders across the country.
The national elections consist of presidential and parliamentary elections, while the local government elections comprise district assembly and unit committee elections.
The presidential election is held to elect the President who is the head of state and the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces through a majoritarian system (two-round system).
On the other hand, the parliamentary election, which is a single-member constituency election, is held to elect representatives to the National Assembly (Parliament).
According to the EC, members are elected using the First Past The Post (FPTP) system, and currently, the presidential and parliamentary elections are held on the same day.
The local government elections are held at least six months before or after parliamentary elections, and they are held every four years to elect electoral area representatives to the district assemblies.
The unit committee election is to elect representatives to the units in the electoral areas.
By Ernest Kofi Adu