Election 2020: International communities call for calm ahead of results declaration

The Heads of ECOWAS and African Union Election Observation Missions, and the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel and Head of UNOWAS has urged all political stakeholders and the Ghanaian citizenry to exercise patience and remain calm as the Electoral Commission (EC) prepares to officially declare the presidential election results.

A joint statement of ECOWAS, African Union and UNOWAS issued on 8 December 2020 entreated all political parties, especially the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to abide by their commitments to peace throughout the electioneering period.

Part of the statement read: “In recognition of the important role of political leaders, especially the two major parties, the NPP and NDC, in preserving the peace in line with their commitments, including the signing of the Peace Pact on 4 December 2020, we urge all political parties and their leadership to respect the spirit and letter of these commitments.

“Furthermore, we appeal to political parties and their followers to refrain from any conduct that may undermine the successful conclusion of the electoral process. We also call on state institutions to continue to carry out their responsibilities with professionalism and transparency”.

The international communities also commended “the people of Ghana for the peaceful conduct of the 7 December 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections.”