With 25 days to the December 2020 polls, the Electoral Commission (EC) has assured of peaceful and transparent general elections.
Speaking at an engagement organised by the Centre for Legal Advocacy Reserve Education and Training, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Jean Mensa said her outfit is “working on building more transparency and accountability in the processes leading to the elections. We are of the firm conviction that how we conduct ourselves before, during, and after the election will have a direct impact on how peaceful the election will be.”
She added that her outfit has provided the needed information to all political parties to enable them to monitor the preparation processes.
“Right from the start of the electoral process, we have been engaging our primary stakeholders, the political parties. And so before we start a registration, we provide them with a 21-day notice to enable them to have their agents across all our registration centres.”
“In addition to that, all the registration centres, exhibition centres, and polling stations are gazetted, which means that they become public documents. The Commission cannot include polling stations or centres outside the gazette. This enables political parties to monitor our activities. Also, during the exhibition, we provided the political parties notice of the exhibition and copies of the provisional register,” she indicated.
Justice Jones Dotse, Justice of the Supreme Court who also spoke at the event urged the media to be circumspect in their reportage.
He cautioned the media to desist against airing fake news saying such actions can cause too much trouble before being brought under control.
The Seminar which was under the auspices of the Women Against Violence in Elections (WAVE GHANA THREE) Programme introduced Peace Ambassadors who are women from various sectors committed to becoming Peace Ambassadors.
Other speakers included DSP Effia Tenge and Rev Tina Tache-Menson, a Liberia war victim.
We are 95 percent ready to conduct 2020 polls – Jean Mensa
The Electoral Commission says it is 95 percent prepared to deliver successful, credible, fair, and orderly elections on December 7, 2020.
Jean Mensa, has assured that issues related to procurement, logistics, and the conduct of the election within a safe environment despite the advent of COVID-19 have been thrashed out.
Speaking at a special hearing of the EC in Parliament on Saturday, she said her outfit’s preparedness is expressed in the procurement of a variety of election materials for the election including ballot boxes, thumbprint pads, stationery, identification jackets, polling station booths, rechargeable lamps, indelible ink, educational posters, seals among others.
“Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform you that the Electoral Commission is 95 percent ready for the successful, credible, fair, orderly, and peaceful conduct of the election on December 7, 2020”, she said.
About Centre for Legal Advocacy Reseal Education and Training
The Empowered Woman Series is a series of seminars designed by Centre for Legal Advocacy Research Education and Training (CLARiT) that focus on the empowerment of the Ghanaian woman to achieve equal opportunities in society.
The EWS achieves its objectives by identifying persons, mainly women practitioners in an identified field, sector or industry who through their knowledge and experiences; challenges, strengths and solutions can influence not only their peers or those aspiring higher positions of authority but ultimately policy makers and legislators.