Tag: Electoral Commission

The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Mrs Jean Mensa has led a ten-member delegation from the commission to pay a courtesy call on the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi.

The visit on Wednesday, February 12, 2020, afforded the Chairperson and her delegation the opportunity to brief the Asantehene on the various reforms that had taken place since the assumption of office of the new leadership at the commission.

There were also discussions on operational issues relating to the electoral processes in the lead up to the conduct of the 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections.

Welcoming the delegation, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II expressed his appreciation for the visit and urged the Commission to continue to work in consonance with the Constitution for a successful Presidential and Parliamentary Elections on December 7, 2020.

Members of the delegation included Dr Bossman Eric Asare, Deputy Chairman in charge of Corporate Services and Mr Samuel Tettey, Deputy Chairman in charge of Operations.

The rest were Madam Adwoa Asuama Abrefa, Mrs Rebecca Adjalo and Mrs Hajia Saadatu Maida all Commission members and Dr Serebuor Quaicoe, Director Electoral Services, Dr Yaw OforiAdjei , I T Consultant, Mrs Sylvia Annoh, Acting Director of Public Affairs and Mr Benjamin Bano Bio, Ashanti regional Director.

Source: Graphic.com.gh

The Eminent Advisory Committee (EAC) of the Electoral Commission (EC) has urged political parties to support the EC in the compilation of the new voters’ register to ensure smooth and transparent elections in December.

In a statement signed by Sylvia Annor, acting Director of Public Affairs of the EC, the group urged all political parties to, as a matter of national importance, assist the EC to discharge its electoral duties as enshrined in the national constitution.

“They advised all stakeholders to put Ghana first in all they do and continue to support the EC with suggestions and recommendations aimed at improving our electoral process,” the statement said.

The recent stance of the Committee would be a jolt on the National Democratic Congress and other groups that have vehemently opposed the compilation of the new register.

Read the full statement below:

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

The Electoral Commission has once again denied the allegation that it intends to rig this year’s election in favour of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

“We have no intention of rigging the election; we make sure we involve all the political parties in everything we do; there is transparency in our processes”, Communications Officer of the Commission, Sylvia Annor said.

Electoral Commission passes major test

This reaction follows a decision by some opposition political parties to embark on a series of demonstrations against the EC’s decision to compile a new voters register.

This group named: interparty resistance against new voters register is made up of the largest opposition party; NDC, PNC, APC and others.

Sylvia Annor who was speaking in an interview with Nana Yaw Kesse on Peace FM morning show ‘Kokrokoo’, continued to justify reasons for a new voters’ register.

Listen to the full interview below

The Electoral Commission (EC) has distanced itself from an ongoing recruitment exercise being advertised on social media.

According to the Commission, it is currently not advertising for recruitment as being speculated.

It made this known in a statement issued by its Acting Director of Public Affairs, Sylvia Annoh.

“The Electoral Commission wishes to distance itself from an ongoing recruitment exercise being advertised on social media,” the statement said.

It added that the “general public will be duly informed through appropriate advertisements and other relevant channels whenever there is an opening at the Commission.”

Source: dailyguidenetwork.com

The Electoral Commission (EC) has distanced itself from an on-going recruitment exercise being advertised on social media.

There has been an announcement of recruitment of personnel for the electoral management body on some social media platforms including Facebook.

Read: Electoral Commission opens vacancies for Returning Officers

However, the EC, in a statement signed by its Director, Public Affairs, Sylvia Annoh stated categorically that it is not advertising for recruitment as being speculated.

“The general public will be duly informed through appropriate advertisement and other relevant channels whenever there is an opening at the Commission,” the statement concluded.

Source: kasapafmonline.com

A Deputy Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr. Bossman Asare has charged Ghanaians abroad to submit critical contributions to the election management body that will enhance the processes toward the implementation of the Representation of the People’s Amendment Act (Act 699).

Speaking at a forum to engage Ghanaians on best practices on the implementation of the law which allows Ghanaians abroad to take part in elections back home, Dr. Asare, who is the Chairman of the ROPAA Committee, asked the participants to make nonpartisan, meaningful and practical contributions that will further advance Ghana’s democracy.

Read: EC to meet Ghanaians in US over ROPAA

He recounted the numerous regional tours undertaken by the Committee as well as a trip to Senegal concerning the matter.

According to him, the Commission has to prepare a Constitutional Instrument (C.I.) based on the inputs obtained from the extensive consultations currently underway and present it to Parliament by December 2019.

For his part, the Chairman of the Progressive Alliance Movement Inc. USA, Dr. Kofi Boateng, expressed the hope that all qualified Ghanaians would be given the opportunity to exercise their franchise in the not-too-distant future, unlike the past where very few Ghanaians abroad took decisions for everyone.

The issues discussed at the forum ranged from eligibility, siting of polling stations and the credibility of election officials among others.

On the issue of residency, some of the participants argued that based on the right to vote as enshrined in Article 42 of the Constitution, it would be unfair to deny any Ghanaian citizen the right to register and vote irrespective of where they reside.

The Consul General of Ghana’s mission in New York, Professor Samuel Kojo Amoako, appealed to Ghanaians abroad to cooperate with the EC to make the implementation of ROPAA successful.

Read: Electoral structures robust to implement ROPAA EC Deputy Chair

An eight-member team led by Dr. Asare embarked on the trip. The others include Mr. Samuel Tettey, Deputy Chairman Operations; Mr. Christian Owusu-Parry, Secretary to the Committee; Mrs. Sylvia Annoh, Acting Director, Communication of the EC; Dr. Kojo Asante of the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD); Rev. Dr. Ernest Adu-Gyamfi of the National Peace Council and President of the Ghana Baptist Convention; Mr. Evans Nimako of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Mr Kofi Akpaloo of the Liberal Democratic Party ( LPG).

As part of the tour, the team is expected to visit Woodbridge (Virginia), Worcester, (Massachusetts) Washington D.C. Columbus (Ohio) and Silverspring (Maryland).

Meanwhile, Ghanaians in New York, who participated in the forum, have commended the EC for its efforts aimed at broadening consultations to operationalise the Representation of the People’s Amendment Act (Act 699).

Source: classfmonline.com

Visually impaired voters have unanimously advocated for the sanctity of the voting processes to ensure true secrecy of the ballot during voting at the upcoming District level Elections and Referendum as well as future exercises.

They alleged that lack of secrecy of the voting process defeats the tenets of the exercise and an abuse of the rights of the visually impaired and other people with physical disability.

Lack of secrecy in voting an abuse of our rights Visually impaired

Mr Christian Dzisianu, Chairman, Ghana Blind Union Association said the secrecy of the ballot is undermined when one’s choice of voting becomes a public matter.

The group raised these concerns at a sensitisation workshop in Ho.

The workshop, which is part of a public education strategy of the Electoral Commission to ensure the dissemination of adequate knowledge and full participation of members in the incoming elections on December 17, this year.

It was under the theme, enhancing the participation of virtually impaired voters in the 2019 District Assembly/Unit Committee Election and Referendum.

Mr Eric Dzakpasu, Deputy Volta Regional Director of EC said the workshop is to collate their views and make it part of the EC’s working principles and adhered to in future elections.

Visually impaired woman defies odds to become a State Attorney

He said EC would liaise with the executives of their Associations to collate numbers across the country and build the tactile ballot jackets according to their demands.

The group was taking through the use of ‘tactile ballot jacket’ as would be applicable on voting day on December 17.

Source: Ghananewsagency.org

Women aspirants who filed to contest in the upcoming district level election in the Ashanti Region by the close of nomination, constitutes less than six percent of the total number of candidates.

Out of the total of 4,197 candidates who filed to contest in the region, only 235 are women, representing six per cent with 901 out of 8,821, representing 10 per cent of the candidates who successfully filed their nominations are women, a situation described as worrying.

NDC ready to help you succeed Ofosu-Ampofo to Jean Mensa

Benjamin Bano-Bioh, the Ashanti Regional Director of the Electoral Commission (EC), said the low women participation situation was a bit better in the unit committee contest, where 10 percent of the candidates were women.

He expressed the sentiment when he was addressing representatives of women groups and persons with disability (PWDs) at a forum on the impending district level elections and referendum scheduled for December 17, this year, the forum formed part of series of engagements between the EC and identifiable groups ahead of the elections and referendum.

The objective is to update the citizenry on the electoral processes, the local governance system and also solicit for their concerns to ensure a smooth, peaceful and successful organisation of the December elections and referendum.

Jean Mensa shoots down idea to tax Ghanaians for elections

Mr. Bano-Bioh noted that it was important that women rise up and play active part in all democratic processes to scale up their participation in democratic governance and rule of law, the EC recognised the important role of women in national cohesion, growth, development, involvement in the electoral processes was critical to a successful and peaceful election and referendum.

“Women can play equally important roles in the electoral processes as observers and election officials, I challenge them to take up such roles, going forward, the commission respect the rights of every voter especially those in the minority and we pledge the commitment, dedication and determination of the commission to ensure their concerns are addressed,” he assured.

Source: www.ghananewsagency.org

Seventeen aspirants have picked nomination forms to contest for the District Assembly and Unit Committee elections 2019 at the Anyaa East electoral area in the Ga-Central Municipality.

Out of this number, four aspirants will contest for the District Assembly and 13 for the Unit Committee elections.

However, as at Thursday, October 10 at 1020 hours, eleven of them had successfully filed their nominations to contest the elections slated for December 17 this year.

Mr Samuel Okoe, the Returning Officer, Special Duty for the Anyaa East Electoral Area confirmed to the Ghana News Agency.

He said three of them had filed for the District Assembly position, while the other eight would be vying for a place in the Unit Committee.

On gender diversity, he said only one female had filed for nomination to contest for the District Assembly position in the upcoming District elections.

Mr Okoe said he encountered many challenges with regards to the filling of the forms adding that, some aspirants mixed small letters with capital while others used small letters instead of capital letters.

Some forms have also not been endorsed.

He advised aspirants to file their forms early in order to have errors corrected before the deadline.

Aspirants for the Assembly include;, Vitoria Korang, Thompson Atitso, William Kabanda and Ekow Gym, while Ebenezer Sackey Baffle, Mustapha Hadji Osman, Salisu Amadu, Jonathan Kwasi Otoo, Eric Opoku, Benjamin Adjetey, Paul Sowah Oko, Charles Nchamba, Godwin Kumahor, Kingsford Otchere, Christian Sarpong, Allotey- Annan Terrence McDonnell, William Kabanda.

Nomination ends on Friday October 11, 2019 at 1700 hours at all electoral areas.

Source: ghananewsagency.org

The Coalition of Election Observers (CODEO) has raised concerns over the proposal by the electoral commission to cut down voting hours.

The commission considering reducing the voting time from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., instead of the 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Read: Akufo-Addo petitioned to halt election of MMDCEs

The move is to allow for counting of ballots and collation of results before night falls and to facilitate the early declaration of election results, the EC chair noted at a conference in Accra.

Speaking to Morning Starr Wednesday, programs coordinator for CODEO Paul Abrampah said the move must be carefully thought true.

“We have come to a point where we want to ensure results realized after elections are acceptable by all. If we change the closing time of elections from 5pm to 4pm, what happens to electoral areas that have challenges and start voting later than any other area because rivers must be crossed to those places and the like.”

Read: Electoral Commission punches CODEO

Reacting to the concerns, spokesperson for the commission, Sylvia Annor said they will engage all stakeholders before a decision is taken on the matter.

“The voting period will be discussed with stakeholders. The late closure affects ultimately the voting results especially that of Presidential elections. The timing is at the preliminary stage of discussion. We are not there yet. On polling days, there are isolated cases of delays even in developed nations. We are working around the clock to make sure all anomalies are rectified”.

Source: starrfm.com.gh