The Member of Parliament for South Dayi Constituency, Hon. Rockson-Nelson Etse Dafeamekpor Esq has criticised the recent announcement by the Electoral Commission (EC) to restrict media coverage at constituency collation centres during the 2024 general elections.
According to the MP, the EC’s directive to allow only eight media stations—comprising three television and five radio stations—to cover constituency-level collation activities while requiring other outlets to rely on their feed is both unlawful and detrimental to the principles of transparency and free elections.
Hon. Dafeamekpor argued that the EC’s announcement lacks legal grounding and flies in the face of constitutional provisions that guarantee press freedom and transparency in public elections.
“The EC has no power to limit or prevent any media house from covering a public event or activity. Article 162(1) guarantees the freedom & independence of the Media in this Country. There is no provision in CI 127 which mandates the EC to limit media coverage of Public Elections to only a select few media outlets.”
Hon. Rockson-Nelson Etse Kwami Dafeamekpor, MP for South Dayi Constituency
He further noted that the elections are conducted in accordance with Article 66(3)(a) of the Constitution and CI 127, neither of which provides the EC with such sweeping authority over media operations.
A Blow to Transparency and Fairness
The directive, according to the National Democratic Congress lawmaker, undermines the very essence of free and fair elections—transparency. “This directive offends the very essence of free and fair elections,” he stated, questioning how restricting media presence at collation centres could foster public trust in the electoral process.
He stressed that the Electoral Commission must refrain from instituting practices that create an impression of partiality or opacity in the conduct of elections.
Hon. Dafeamekpor also raised practical questions about the feasibility of the directive, particularly the criteria the Electoral Commission intends to use to select the eight media stations.
“Who fed the EC this unlawful thought to communicate to us? In any case, is the EC aware that Citi Media for instance, has Citi FM and Channel 1 TV under one umbrella even though they are different stations?
“Is the EC aware that Multi-Media has Joy News, Joy FM, Adom TV etc under one umbrella even though they are different stations? Or that TV 3, Onua TV and 3FM operate under the same ownership even though they are different stations?”
Hon. Rockson-Nelson Etse Kwami Dafeamekpor, MP for South Dayi Constituency
This is not the first time the EC has faced criticism for controversial decisions in its electoral management.
Hon. Dafeamekpor recounted previous instances where the EC allegedly acted beyond its remit, including appointing constituency collation officers, which he claimed contravenes Regulation 38 of CI 127, and annulling polling stations without legal basis. “The EC must not start something it cannot defend in law,” he cautioned.
In his concluding remarks, Hon. Dafeamekpor called on the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and other stakeholders to resist any attempt to curtail the independence of the media or compromise the transparency of the electoral process.
“Do we have a GJA?” he asked pointedly, urging the association to intervene and protect press freedoms. The MP’s comments come as the country prepares for the December 7, 2024, general elections, a pivotal moment in Ghana’s democratic journey.
