Stop declaring election results, it’s not your job – GJA warns media houses

The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has cautioned all media houses to refrain from declaring the results of the just-ended general elections held on Monday, December 7, 2020.

The Association reminded the media that the declaration of the election results is a constitutional mandate assigned to only the Electoral Commission (EC).

In a press release signed by the GJA President, Affail Monney, it noted that the media can only report certified results by the EC as well as make projections but do not have the power to adjudge any political party the winner in the presidential race.

The release stressed that “as the nation awaits the result declaration by the EC and as the two leading political parties make claims and counterclaims, the GJA urges the media to use their platforms to cool down tension and calm the nerves of Ghanaians. The GJA believes at this critical moment, the media must play a constructive role rather than inflame passion or act in an untoward manner that may lead to the disturbance of the peace.”

“After the declaration of the results, the media must focus on and promote the acceptance of the results by all and the need to foster national security. These are the charges the media have to keep and they must not dare not fail the nation.”

This warning comes after some media conglomerates declared NPP's Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as the winner of the presidential race.

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