AU, ECOWAS, Commonwealth laud Ghanaians for peaceful elections - Call for reforms

The African Union (AU), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Commonwealth Election Observer Missions in Ghana have commended Ghanaians for their commitment to democratic principles, as evidenced by the peaceful conduct of last Saturday's general election. 

They also commended citizen observers, political parties and candidates’ agents, as well as the vigilance of the electorate, in the monitoring of the polling process, counting of ballots and tallying.

At a press conference in Accra yesterday, the heads of the missions described as amazing the spirit of collaboration and patriotism among electoral officials, political party agents, voters and the security personnel deployed to the polling stations.

The heads of the three missions:  former President of Ethiopia and Head of the AU Elections Observer Mission, Sahle-work Zewde; a former Vice-President of Nigeria and Head of ECOWAS Elections Mission, Namadi Sambo, and a former President of Botswana and Head of the Commonwealth Election Mission, Dr Mokgweetsi Eric Masisi, said the entire process last Saturday was largely successful.

The three missions acknowledged the Electoral Commission's efforts to enhance transparency in the process by having regular consultations with the civil society and allowing the media to participate in one Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting.

"We commend the EC for the timeous deployment of materials to all regions and the efficiency of the biometric verification devices (BVD)," they said.

Conceding defeat

The missions also applauded the Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, for demonstrating a mark of statesmanship by conceding defeat even before the official declaration of the presidential results of the 2024 general election.

The three bodies said the gesture by the Vice-President had further enhanced Ghana's democratic credentials, which remained a beacon of hope for the continent and the Commonwealth as a whole.

They said Dr Bawumia's magnanimity reinforced Ghana's democratic principle, provided a learning curve for the sub-region and a guide for future elections.

Regrettable

However, Madam Zewde, who spoke on behalf of the AU, said reports of ballot papers allegedly being distributed outside the formal polling processes were regrettable.  

"However, the people of Ghana are commended for their vigilance in intercepting the said ballots, which could have tainted the integrity of the process," she said.

Mr Sambo of ECOWAS stated that the main elements that influenced this year's elections were the general economic hardship, made up of food insecurity, youth unemployment, inflation and galamsey.

He said the frustrating experiences in the daily lives of Ghanaians made the campaign issue-based.

Mr Sambo seized the opportunity to commend President-elect, John Dramani Mahama, for making an impressive return to the presidency and contributing to the general peaceful atmosphere in the country.

He also commended the EC for its open-door policy to allow the media and civil society to work without hindrance.

For his part, Mr Masisi expressed regret at the killing of two persons, one in Kasoa and another in the Northern Region, as well as the injuries to some voters.

Recommendation

The joint observer group condemned pockets of violence witnessed during the exercise and called on the police to conduct investigations and bring the perpetrators to book.

He also blamed media ownership, which continued to affect coverage on the continent and called for reforms.

Misinformation

The joint observer group said issues of campaign financing and limited state resources should be addressed.

The group also urged the EC to maintain continuous engagement and consultations, and increase the number of polling stations, especially in rural areas, for easy access and faster turnaround time.