EC asked to deal with challenges of district level elections

The Electoral Commission has been urged to take a critical look and deal with the challenges associated with district level elections, including the setting up of polling stations and the malfunctioning of biometric verification devices.

The EC has also been asked to look at issues relating to the arrival of polling officials during elections to ensure the smooth conduct of elections in future.

The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO), which made the call, said the EC had to review its performance on Election Day to prevent similar occurrences in the 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections.

The security personnel, according to the CODEO, were visible in some polling stations, while others, especially in the Western Region, had the least visibility of uniformed security officials at polling stations.

Arrival at polling stations

Speaking on the district level elections  at a press conference  in Accra, Mrs Miranda Greenstreet, Co-chairperson of CODEO, said election observers reported that majority of the polling station officials were present at their assigned polling stations by 6:30 a.m. in accordance with the EC regulations.

However, she said at some polling stations, polling officials were not present at the time CODEO observers arrived at 6 a.m.

As a result, Mrs Greenstreet said most of the polling stations had to be opened  at different times.

Uniformed security officials

Mrs Greenstreet recommended the security agencies for professionally conducting themselves by responding to the few election-related incidents and disruptions that occurred during the elections.

She, however, called on the security agencies to endeavour to deploy more men and women to all polling stations in future elections.

The CODEO, she said, also urged the security agencies to evaluate their deployment  for the district level election so as  to learn lessons that could help inform their  preparations towards  the 2016 general election and subsequent elections.

She said reports of thugs invading some polling stations with the aim of either preventing voters from voting could have been prevented completely with adequate presence of security personnel.

The co-chairperson said reports received from their observers indicated that the conduct  of the  September 1, 2015 district level elections was consistent with the electoral laws.

Mrs Greenstreet also said arrangements by the EC were adequate to enable eligible Ghanaians to cast their votes.

Low turnout

Mrs Greenstreet noted that the consistent low turnout in the District Level Elections was of concern to CODEO and many Ghanaians, saying it had implications for effective  grass-roots participation and inclusive development.

She said there was the need for holistic assessment to find the reasons for the low patronage and advance solutions.