The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has stated that it will deploy 300 staff members across the country to monitor the general election on December 7.
Dr Joseph Whittal, CHRAJ Commissioner, addressing the press in Accra, said the election observers would look out for rights violations and other specific elements on the CHRAJ election observation checklist.
“Whilst we will be observing the election in general, along the lines expected of all election observers, we have as a constitutional duty as well, within the mandates of the Commission to monitor the right to vote, and in particular we are interested in what rights violation issues have been engaged in by who, by which party, which independent candidate,” he stated.
He said CHRAJ observers would monitor issues of intemperate language, violence, reportage on the airwaves, and other incidents during the election.
Dr Whittal said the Commission would subsequently compile a “comprehensive report” with evidence of all activities during the elections and make recommendations.
“The report is meant for the major stakeholders, the election management body, in case there were issues that have been flagged about how the election management body handled the elections.
“If there are security infractions and there is a need to get the security agencies informed of what to do next time round, the recommendations will pertain to them as well.
“It is a special report which would be laid before Parliament to enable the appropriate committee to take the recommendations forward,” he stated.
Expressing confidence in the 300 staff to perform a diligent task in all 276 constituencies on Election Day, the Commissioner separated the role of CHRAJ election observers from that of other local and international observers.
“Other election observers are about fairness, credibility and freeness…Whilst we will do that for the election observation aspect, we [CHRAJ] have this extra responsibility of ensuring that Ghanaian citizens have exercised their franchise to vote and to select their leadership based on a right environment that respected their rights,” he explained.
Dr Whittal said the Commission did not deploy observers during the Special Voting exercise on Monday, December 2, but would revise that in future elections.
He praised the country’s “maturing democracy,” and urged stakeholders not to engage in conduct that undermines the progress made over the years.
The Commission, ahead of the election, organized a health screening for staff members, in partnership with Tobinco Pharmaceuticals.
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