Let’s support the EC to deliver
From now till December 7 when the country goes to the polls, the world will focus on Ghana, in the hope that we will further consolidate our democracy through peaceful, fair and credible elections.
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While this remains a daunting task for us, we can proudly say that we have done that before and are confident of doing it again, although such confidence should not be allowed to develop into complacency.
To be able to live up to our own expectation and that of the outside world, we must ensure that the various institutions charged with executing their mandate to ensure that the outcome of the December polls is acceptable to all are alive to their responsibilities.
It is in the light of this that the Daily Graphic adds its voice to that of the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) in urging the Electoral Commission (EC) to continue to work at enhancing its public image, trust and credibility.
The initiative by the EC in implementing 27 accepted electoral reforms that will enhance the transparency of results tabulation and transmission is commendable.
Indeed, a recent survey by the Centre for Democratic Development, Ghana (CDD-Ghana), which indicated rising confidence of the Ghanaian public in the EC, must buoy up the commission in its effort at further winning the total confidence of the electorate.
The same survey also showed that some Ghanaians were sceptical about the credibility of the vote count process and the electronic transmission of results.
We are of the view that the EC ought to intensify public education on the national vote tabulation process, especially the electronic transmission of results, in order to allay the fears of that segment that entertains such fear.
More importantly, the EC must ensure that in all it does, it engages actively with the Inter-Party Advisory Committee in a manner that engenders positive camaraderie, openness and integrity.
Beyond that, our political parties must not see the December polls as a ‘do-or-die’ affair but one of the necessary tools to consolidate our growth and progress as a nation.
We should always be guided by the mantra that ‘we are all involved in building our motherland’.
It is for this reason that the voting public must buy into programmes initiated by the EC between now and the December polls.
This is because the corporate support of all Ghanaians is crucial to the success of every exercise undertaken by the EC towards the holding of free, fair and credible polls.
Our resolve to ensure that our country continues on the path of growth and progress requires that we all put our shoulders to the wheel in executing our civic responsibilities in a manner that enhances transparency, accountability and inclusiveness, instead of detracting from these ideals.
