EC urged to ensure free and fair 2020 elections

The country’s Electoral Commission (EC) has been urged to conduct the forthcoming December 7 general election on a free and fair basis.

Alhaji Osman Abdel-Rahman, Executive Director of Ghana Developing Communities Association (GDCA), who reiterated the call, said it was the EC’s mandate to ensure an electoral process that was free, fair and transparent for all political parties and candidates in order to prevent some individuals from resorting to violence.

He said this at an event, organised by the Civil Society Organizations Platform for Good Governance (CSOPGG), a consortium of CSOs in the Northern region, with support from the Empowerment for Life Programme of the GDCA, in Tamale.

It was to mark the 2020 International Day of Democracy, which was on the theme; “COVID-19: A spotlight on Democracy”, and was attended by representatives of political parties and CSOs.

Alhaji Abdel-Rahman said “the purpose of every election was to democratize the system of governance to achieve equitable allocation of power and resources. The EC must ensure this is done in a manner that will not threaten the peace and stability of the country.

“For more than a quarter of a century, Ghana has become an island of peace and stability in the sub-region threatened by terrorism, insurgence and armed conflicts as well as socio-political instabilities. We must do everything in our capacity as a people to maintain this status”, he added.

He further appealed to government to ensure citizens lived in conditions of adequate peace and security, and a level playing field for all contesting political parties and candidates in the December 7 elections.

Alhaji Abdel-Rahman encouraged journalists to uphold high standards of ethics and values in their reportage on issues of political interest, adding that, they should desist from circulating news stories that would fuel tension among citizens in the electioneering period.

Some representatives of CSOs present at the event advised the youth not to allow themselves to be used by political actors for violent conducts in their quest to gain power in the period of electoral activities.