Editorial by Ghanaian Times: Let's support EC to conduct credible elections!

The pledge by the Electoral Commission (EC) to Ghanaians that it will conduct itself “in truth and integrity and organise fair, credible, transparent and peaceful elections come December 7, 2024”, and gives the assurance that, “We will not let you down” is a life-saving promise.

Since 1992, when party politics was reintroduced in the country after 11 years of military rule, this promise has been given by the EC every year and in spite of some issues raised by certain political parties and individuals, to a large extent, this has always been upheld.

Therefore, the Ghanaian Times believes that all the stakeholders in this year’s elections would play their respective roles for the country to once again acquits itself as a place where peace and tranquillity are treasured, a place where the noise is made but at the end of the day the dust settles.

The sages say “Well done is better than well said”.

This is to tell the EC that much controversy has been created around it and it would take the free and fair conduct of these elections to prove its integrity to the whole world that it is really the credible electoral referee that the whole world knows it to be.

After all, all things being equal, elections are about the opportunity given to the people to express their will as to who should govern them at a particular period and so any attempt to undermine that will to choose is a subversion of democracy.

Even though the EC is an institution, it is made up of people who have political affiliations as other citizens but it can be indisputably said that over the years, the commissioners leading the EC have proven themselves to be objective, fair, and men and women of integrity.

Such conduct is what has stemmed electoral violence in the country and earned it the accolade “a beacon of hope” with regard to the growth of democracy in Africa.

As in past election years, this year too calls for the best decisions and actions that respond to the exigencies of the day to ensure victory for the whole country and for peace and unity to continue to reign in the country.

One of such decision and action is for the EC to take a stance to have a listening ear even if it knows very well that something being said about it is false.

Let the EC give every accuser the benefit of the doubt to prove its case or get to the point of the accuser swallowing his or her words.

The EC should also stick to the notion that even though there has not been large-scale electoral violence in the country before, the isolated cases over the years indicate that any careless conduct on its part can spell doom.

While we plead with the EC to conduct itself well as it has promised, we also appeal to all the stakeholders in this year’s elections, particularly the political parties and the die-hard supporters to have cool heads.

The parties should do the needful in terms of having well-orientated supporters to monitor the voting and the counting of the ballots, not people who would cry foul where there is no need to.

We also appeal to security personnel to prevent ballot box snatching and other electoral vices, as well as ward off party members whose actions can spark controversy.

The media too should be circumspect in their report about the election in order not to incite people to violence.

To the citizens, particularly the voters, we say after voting, leave the polling station and come back only to observe the counting of the ballots if you so wish.

Let everyone in the country conduct themselves well before, during, and after the elections for peace in the country to prevail and for the whole world to once again say, “Well done, Ghana”.

The benefits of violence-free elections in Ghana are clear – peace, unity, more investment, and progress.