Two leading Civil Society Organizations, namely Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) and the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) have established media forums to spearhead electoral reforms that will promote integrity, transparency, and ensure peaceful elections in Ghana.
In a statement issued by Nana Ama Nartey, Acting Communications Team Lead for the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development, the Media for Electoral Reform Forum seeks to build the capacities of journalists and create platforms for media practitioners to discuss and advocate for electoral reforms in the areas of election results management, parliamentary election petition adjudication, and affirmative action among others.
According to her, the Media for Electoral Reform Forum (MERF) will spearhead the selection and capacity-building workshops for journalists on the proposed electoral reforms and support advocacy campaigns ahead of the general elections in December 2024.
“The Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) and the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO), with funding from the European Union, have formed a media forum to champion electoral reforms that will improve integrity, transparency, and peaceful elections in Ghana”.
Nana Ama Nartey
Again, the Acting Communications Team Lead for the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development, Nana Ama Nartey revealed that the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development and the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers convened an initial meeting On Thursday, November 9, 2023 at the Airport West Hotel in Accra to foster a common understanding among journalists on key issues of electoral reforms in Ghana and best practices from other African countries.
CDD- Ghana To Host Capacity Building Workshops For Media Practitioners
Furthermore, Nana Ama Nartey indicated that as part of the organization’s effort to build relationships with the media as capable partners in advancing advocacy on the proposed reforms, the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development and the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers would host two zonal capacity-building workshops for 70 selected media practitioners from the Northern and Southern part of the country.
According to her through the collaboration it intends to build with some selected media organizations, various platforms will be used to advocate for reforms and ensure transparent, credible, and peaceful elections in Ghana, particularly the 2024 general elections.
Moreover, the Acting Communications Team Lead for the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development, recounted that about twenty-two (22) media practitioners who were selected from online, print, radio and television stations participated in the inception meeting where GhanaWeb was selected as conveners for the Media Electoral Reforms Forum (MERF)
She noted that Ghanaweb expressed its willingness to facilitate the media’s role in advocating for such electoral reforms.
In addition, Nana Ama Nartey noted that Dr. Kojo Asante, Director of Programs and Advocacy at CDD-Ghana, entreated the journalists to collectively use their efforts to effectively engage and educate citizens on the electoral reforms ahead of the 2024 general elections while Mr. Joseph Oti Frimpong, programs officer with CDD-Ghana, emphasized that the forum will equip journalists with the knowledge and capacity to push the efforts for electoral reforms on election results management, parliamentary election adjudication and the Affirmative Action Bill.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has warned media practitioners against unprofessional conduct ahead of the 2024 elections.
Speaking at the Launch of the Ghana Journalist Association and the United State Embassy Ghana Election 2024 project dubbed ‘Journalists for Peaceful Discourse’ on November 9 2023, the Ghana Journalist Association GJA President, Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, stressed that the Ghana Journalist Association will not ‘protect’ or ‘defend’ any media practitioner who acts in a manner that incites violence or undermines the country’s electoral process.
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