Concerted approach needed to implement electoral reforms – Ibn Chambas

The United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas is calling for a concerted approach in the implementation of electoral reforms in Ghana to enhance the country’s electoral process.

He also wants the electoral commission to enforce recommendations of a three-ay high-level post-election review workshop on the 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections underway at Aqua Safari in Accra.

The keynote speaker said these in his address at the ongoing ceremony which opened today, Monday, 26 April 2021.

He said: “A concerted approach will be required to enhance the electoral process in Ghana with such an event such as this retreat being a first step.

“Let me urge the EC and other relevant national institutions to put in place a mechanism for consultation to discuss the findings of the recommendations of this retreat that we are having here today and to develop a strategy for their implementation...

“All of this will come to nothing if there’s not also the goodwill to implement the good recommendations that will come out of here and perhaps such similar consultations ongoing and to make such good efforts to implement them.

“I know Ghanaians are sensitive and we want to be sure that we are left alone to do our thing and we feel we have capacity to deliver and sometimes we might see certain actions as being a bit too intrusive but that notwithstanding, we are also very opened and friendly and I think where there is mutual understanding and respect about each other’s role, things can go properly and we hope this partnership, we are a member of ECOWAS, AU, UN they have their role to play, but we have good partnership with EU and so many bilateral partners who we hope going forward will continue to support our electoral processes.”