EC won’t compromise elections - Jean Mensa
The Electoral Commission (EC) will not compromise its core principles of transparency and integrity in the electoral process preceding the December 7 polls, the Chairperson of the commission, Jean Mensa, has assured.
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She said the elections management body was preoccupied with ensuring that the watertight systems it had put in place culminated in free, fair and credible elections to consolidate the country’s democratic journey.
She added that while the EC was thoroughly cleaning up the provisional voters register, it was also focused on ensuring that no person who registered legitimately was disenfranchised.
“I want to emphasise that the EC cannot rig elections for any person or party because Ghana has a very robust electoral system; from registration to voting and the declaration of results. The EC Chairperson only declares results that have been signed and certified from the polling stations,” the EC Chairperson stressed.
Mrs Mensa stated this when the Managing Director of the Graphic Communications Group Ltd (GCGL), Ato Afful, paid a courtesy call on her at the corporate office of the commission in Accra last Wednesday to deepen their working relationship.
EC/GCGL meeting
The GCGL delegation included the Director, Marketing, Franklin Sowa; the News Editor, Samuel Doe Ablordeppey; the Corporate Communications Manager, Emmanuel Arthur, and the acting Assistant Photo Editor, Edna Salvo Kotey.
On the side of the EC, Mrs Mensa was supported by the Deputy Chairman of the commission in charge of Operations, Samuel Tettey; the Director of Electoral Services, Benjamin Banor-Bio, and other officers of the commission.
The meeting between the leaders of the two institutions was meant to strengthen collaboration that would support the EC in particular deliver on its mandate of free, fair and transparent elections.
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The two sides recommitted to work together in a manner that would ensure that reliable information on the electoral process was made available to the public.
Daily Graphic’s credibility
Mrs Mensa said the collaboration between GCGL and the EC was crucial to delivering credible elections, as she touted the Daily Graphic as the most credible newspaper that Ghanaians relied on for relevant and verifiable information.
She described the Daily Graphic as “the conscience of the nation”, adding that when the paper spoke, “the people hear and form opinions; so it is important that as the EC does its part to ensure credible elections, Graphic also tells the story in a balanced and factual way to help to consolidate the gains made in democratic governance.
“We want to be given fair coverage because what comes from the Daily Graphic is taken as the gospel. Always cross-check with the EC if you are not certain with any information, and we will clarify it for you,” she said.
Mrs Mensa further stressed that with both GCGL and the EC being state institutions with constitutional mandates and responsibilities, it was important for them to protect each other, adding, however, that “of course, not when we are doing the wrong thing”.
Assurance
Mr Afful said the GCGL valued the relationship with the EC, and was prepared to use the Daily Graphic and other media brands of the company to create awareness on the electoral process and educate voters to make informed choices.
He said the collaboration between the EC and GCGL was crucial as the December 7 polls drew closer because there was a higher possibility of some persons taking advantage of the political season to put out untruths and misinformation that could disrupt the electoral process.
“In the absence of the right information, misinformation and noise will saturate the electoral ecosystem and bring about negative impacts. Steps must be taken to limit the noise, and Graphic is prepared to collaborate with the EC to ensure that at this critical period, we have access to credible information from stakeholders, including voters,” he stressed.
Ensure fairness
Mr Afful called on the EC to live up to its principles of fairness and integrity by ensuring that the process leading to the December 7 polls were transparent and fair to all stakeholders.
“By collaborating with the commission, we want to ensure that all processes leading to the elections is communicated in the most credible and factual manner,” he added.
The GCGL MD further stressed the need for the EC to strengthen collaboration with political parties and other stakeholders for peaceful elections.