Private legal practitioner and law lecturer at the University of Ghana School of Law, Justice Srem Sai has criticized the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Madam Jean Mensa, for denouncing the role of the EC headquarters in determining election outcomes.
In his detailed remarks, Justice Srem Sai contended that the EC’s chairperson often downplays the impact of the Commission’s headquarters on election results, a view he believes misrepresents the realities of the EC’s operations and responsibilities.
“The EC chair keeps saying that the EC headquarters doesn’t have a hand in determining the outcome of an election. She often cites media house results to back her statement by saying that even 8 media houses got the same results that she announced in 2020.
“A more thorough appreciation of the work of the EC and the working capacities of media houses will show that her position is not correct”.
Justice Srem Sai, Private Legal Practitioner and Law Lecturer at the University Of Ghana School Of Law
Justice Srem Sai dismissed the EC’s Chairperson’s argument, noting that no media house in Ghana possesses the capacity to independently collate results from polling stations across the country.
According to him, “a media house’s results can, at best, be a mere reproduction of some other primary result source.”
He elaborated that media outlets often share and copy information from one another, meaning their results may not be independent or serve as a credible benchmark for accuracy.
Media Houses as Secondary Sources
Justice Srem Sai emphasized that the reliance on media house results as evidence of the EC’s non-interference is flawed.
He argued that all media outlets may be relying on the same data sourced from the EC, which diminishes the argument that their figures act as independent confirmation of the election outcome.
“This means that you can’t cite any media house’s results or a number of media houses’ results as an independent result source or as a benchmark for accurate results. All the media houses may just be reproducing the same EC results”.
Justice Srem Sai, Private Legal Practitioner and Law Lecturer at the University Of Ghana School Of Law
EC Headquarters’ Influence on Election Results
Beyond the media’s role, Justice Sai identified multiple ways in which the EC headquarters, through its decisions and actions, directly influences election results.
He cited the case of the SALL (Santrokofi, Akpafu, Likpe, and Lolobi) issue in the 2020 elections, where a simple letter from the EC Chair impacted the parliamentary majority.
This, he explained, is a clear example of how the EC’s internal decisions can affect electoral outcomes on a significant scale.
Another critical issue raised by Justice Srem Sai concerns illegal vote transfers, which he claimed the EC itself has admitted to.
These illegal transfers, he argued, were a direct result of EC headquarters decisions and had the potential to alter election results.
The seasoned legal practitioner also underscored the importance of voter registration timelines, voter verification processes, ballot design, and the structure for distributing voting materials—each of which is dictated by the EC’s headquarters.
These policies and decisions, Justice Srem Sai argued though administrative, have far-reaching consequences on the integrity and outcome of elections.
EC’s Role in Presidential Election Announcements
Perhaps most striking in Justice Sai’s critique is his focus on the final tabulation and announcement of presidential election results by the EC chair.
He referenced the 2020 general elections, where the current Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ghana, Madam Jean Mensa corrected her own announced presidential results twice within 24 hours.
These corrections, Justice Srem Sai asserted, are proof that even the EC’s final tabulation and public announcements can impact the outcome of elections.
“As I type, almost 4 years down the line, no verifiable explanation has been offered for even one of the two corrections. Such corrections, too, affect the election results”, Srem Sai lamented.
Call for Accountability and Responsibility
Justice SSrem ai concluded by urging the EC to acknowledge its substantial role in shaping election outcomes.
He believes the EC must accept its responsibilities and stop distancing itself from the electoral process, which is directly influenced by its policies, decisions, and actions.
His statements challenged the narrative that the EC is merely a passive actor in elections and reinforced the need for transparency and accountability in the Commission’s operations.
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