Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ghana, Jean Mensa, has guaranteed the public that the upcoming 2024 general election will not be manipulated in favor of any political party.
Speaking to the Ghanaian Parliament on July 19, 2024, about the EC’s readiness for the election, Mensa stated that the measures in place make it impossible for anyone, including herself, to alter the election results.
She elaborated that representatives from each political party will be present at all stages—from polling stations to district, regional, and national collation centers—to verify and confirm each result.
“I would like to start by assuring you that the commission is poised and ready to deliver free, fair, credible, transparent elections that reflect the will of the people. I can assure you that the commission will not, and this is a message we are sending to the least person in the field, that our duty is to ensure that the elections are fair, the elections are credible, the elections are transparent and open for all to see that at the end of the day, the winner is declared.”
“And I would like to find out if you are aware of any loopholes in this system, because we know how the system works. We know that the system starts from the ground and it starts at the polling station. The ballots are opened up for everybody to see. We have our party agents who are present. At the end of the day, the counting is done in the full glare of the public. This is recorded, and it is recorded on the pink sheets,” she explained.
She added, “Party agents have, you know, the opportunity in law, to request a recount, if twice, one at the polling station and one at the constituency collation centre. And if they have issues, these things are resolved before the forms are filled and they append their signature to it, where the agent feels that he or she will not append his signature for certain reasons, they state so.”
The head of the EC further elaborated on the process of transmitting election results from the polling stations to the national collation center.
“I would like to assure you that whatever comes from the ground, and it goes from the polling stations, where all the agents of the parties are, to the constituency collation centres, where the agents of the parties are, and this tabulation is done in their presence.
“And then from there, it goes to the regional collation centres, where the agents of the parties are. Then it comes to the national and it doesn’t come. It’s not transmitted, it’s hard copies of documents that are coming. So, it’s pink sheets that are scanned, that are sent by fax and email that come through. And we believe that by that time, the party should have copies of all these on their phones to enable you to verify. So, when you come to the national and a document, a pink sheet, is coming in from the region, your agent at the national collation centre should be able to look at it and say, this is what we signed on to.”
Jean Mensa emphasized that the results sent to the national collation center are tamper-proof.
“So, I would like to assure you there is absolutely, absolutely no way that at the helm of affairs, the commission can change anything because the documentation comes from the ground and we believe that you have copies.”
She called on political parties to appoint capable individuals as agents at the various centers to ensure proper oversight.
“From the registration to the declaration, our processes are embedded with one key ingredient, and that is transparency, transparency, transparency. As such we will continue to operate in the spirit of transparency, fairness and integrity as embedded in our motto,” she assured.
BAI/ ADG