The Ghana Institute of Governance and Security (GIGS) has expressed grave concern over the recent developments involving the Electoral Commission (EC) in the aftermath of the 2024 general elections.
In a statement, GIGS acknowledged that the elections concluded relatively peacefully.
However, the EC’s actions, characterized by indecision and arbitrariness, have held the nation’s democratic processes hostage, in its attempt to re-collate results for some nine constituencies.
“As stipulated in Article 49(2) and (3) of the 1992 Constitution, the presiding officer at each polling station is mandated to count and record votes in the presence of candidates, their representatives, and polling agents.
“Furthermore, they must sign a declaration stating the polling station, the number of votes cast for each candidate, and immediately announce the results at the polling station. These procedures are non-negotiable and aim to ensure transparency and accountability in the electoral process,” portions of the statement read.
Similarly, GIGS noted Article 50(1) provides clarity on the process of declaring a candidate elected based on the majority of valid votes cast.
“Despite these constitutional safeguards, the EC’s conduct during the 2020 and 2024 elections raises significant legal and ethical concerns,” it noted.
The statement added that the EC’s decision to conduct re-collations of parliamentary election results in constituencies such as Ablekuma North, Okaikwei Central, and seven others demonstrates a blatant disregard for established electoral laws.
It added that the EC has no legal authority to reconsider declared results unless there is
parity in votes, as outlined in Regulation 42 of CI 127.
“The commission’s unilateral actions, therefore, constitute a breach of these regulations and undermine the integrity of Ghana’s democratic framework.
“The EC’s justification for re-collating results in certain constituencies—citing irregularities,
threats, violence and omissions during the collation process—is equally untenable,” it added.
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Read the full statement below: