We all deserve commendation for successful elections

Ghana last Saturday turned a major corner in its political life following the successful conclusion of the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections.

The elections came against heavy odds as the world once more turned its attention to the West African state that has earned the enviable tag as a beacon of democracy. This was in the wake of heavy tension over electoral disagreements.

Indeed, disagreements over the credibility of the voter roll, a call and counter call for a forensic audit of the voter register, revelations of unsolicited vote transfers and some other allegations somehow pushed tensions to fever pitch as December 7 approached.

It was encouraging that once again the voting process was a generally smooth exercise devoid of the long queues of old and the boiling scenes at the polling stations.

Yet, the electoral system appeared to move assuredly towards the final day as the Electoral Commission (EC) maintained the steadfastness resolve on the process.

There is no denying that the removal of the long queues from polling stations reduced the wild tensions that characterise the voting process. The experience of the average voter is one of a short walk through the various stages of the voting process at the polling station.

This has been made possible because of the increase in the number of polling stations. From the about 29,000 polling stations deployed by the EC in the 2016 elections, the elections management body deployed 40,648 polling stations across the country for the 2024 elections.

The ultimate effect was that the higher number of polling stations helped to manage the number of voters per polling station and curtailed voter waiting time at the polling stations.

It is, therefore, proper to commend the various stakeholders who participated in the delivery of yet another successful electoral process for a good job done.

Chief among them is the Electoral Commission (EC), the body that promised the best ever elections that would surpass all of what the country had experienced in its democratic journey.

The EC endured a tortuous path to the elections, having to contend with various issues, including managing the demise of a presidential candidate when the printing of the ballot papers had advanced.

As with any human system, the electoral process is not indemnified against some form of challenge, but the ability to anticipate, remedy, correct and plan for subsequent actions is a measure of good management.

We acknowledge the ballot printing challenges, the issues that compelled the rescheduling of the special voting in the Eastern and Western regions, reported issues with indelible ink and delayed arrival of voting materials at some polling stations on election day, among others.

We also acknowledge how the EC worked to overcome the challenges, including the interdiction of the EC officer in the Pusiga Constituency for the official’s role in the unsolicited voter transfers.

Similarly, the National Election Security Task Force deserves commendation for the generally conducive security environment within which the public participated in the voting exercise.

It is a major blot on the conscience of the nation that another simple election process has reportedly cost some lives and resulted in injuries to others. These situations are unjustifiable under any circumstance, and the perpetrators must be tracked, investigated and ultimately made to face the law.

Otherwise, we are impressed with how the Inspector-General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare, marshalled the National Security Task Force to control areas around polling stations to ward off potential trouble.

It is worth stating that Saturday’s election was the latest in Dr Dampare’s credentials after he presided over near-perfect security arrangements for by-elections at Kumawu in the Ashanti Region, Assin North in the Central Region, and Ejisu in the Ashanti Region.

In each of those three by-elections, he put the police in charge of security and eliminated any chance of a chaotic parallel security arrangement.

The political parties also deserve commendation for their comportment and the support they offered to improve the electoral system.

Given that the country has lived up to its democratic credentials again, all stakeholders must look forward to smoothening the rough edges for the future. It is a job well done!