The Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) has called for the establishment of a standardized procedure to correct errors in election results in a significant push towards enhancing the credibility and transparency of Ghana’s electoral process.
Dr. Kojo Pumpuni Asante, Director of Advocacy and Policy Engagement at CDD-Ghana, speaking at a public dialogue on electoral reforms held in Kumasi highlighted the necessity of such a procedure, noting the absence of a legal framework for rectifying mistakes in the current electoral process.
This proactive measure, he noted aims to prevent confusion at polling stations and collation centres during elections
Dr. Asante emphasized that errors are inevitable during the collation of election results and underscored the importance of having a standardized process to address these mistakes.
“Errors are bound to happen during the collation of results. We need to standardize the process of correcting them so that when it happens at any polling station, officials will follow a common procedure to rectify the error,”
Dr Kojo Pumpuni Asante,Director of Advocacy and Policy Engagement at CDD-Ghana
He suggested that the Electoral Commission (EC) could issue directives to establish a uniform approach to handling errors, ensuring that all stakeholders are aware of the procedures to follow when mistakes occur.
Improving Electoral Quality
Reflecting on the progress made in Ghana’s electoral process over the years, Dr. Asante noted that continuous improvements have been driven by reforms addressing gaps identified after each election.
“If elections are credible, it benefits all of us. See yourself as a citizen first, whether as a media person, party representative, or any other stakeholder,” he urged participants, stressing the importance of credible elections.
He likened the role of elections in democracy to lubricants in cars, explaining that without credible elections, political crises could ensue.
He stated that elections could be expensive but the principle that everybody in that society could have a say in who governs them could not be underestimated
EC’s Proactive Role
Commending the Electoral Commission for its proactive stance in recent times, the Director of Advocacy and Policy Engagement at CDD-Ghana, Dr. Asante encouraged the commission to maintain engagement with all stakeholders in implementing reforms for the collective good of the country.
He highlighted the history of electoral reforms in Ghana since the 1992 election, pointing out the progress made and the need to address remaining gaps to ensure credible and transparent elections.
The event, which was funded by the European Union, and facilitated by the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development aims to address outstanding gaps and improve the electoral process is part of a project aimed at promoting the implementation of electoral reforms to enhance the credibility and transparency of the 2024 elections.
It was attended by participants from political parties, civil society organizations, the National Peace Council, the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), youth groups, and the media.
Dr. Asante’s call for standardized error correction procedures is seen as a critical step towards achieving this goal, ensuring that Ghana’s electoral process remains robust, transparent, and credible.
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