Mrs Rebecca Kabukie Adjalo, Commission Member of the Electoral Commission (EC), has warned media practitioners to exercise extreme circumspection when reporting election related issues in order not to inflame passions in the country.
She said the media had played an indispensable role by educating the public on election activities as well as rules and regulations regulating the electoral process.
She, therefore, charged them to be abreast of the legislations regulating election so as to inform the public accurately.
Mrs Adjalo gave the advice at a day’s capacity workshop for media practitioners in the Western Region on enhancing participation and stakeholder confidence in Ghana’s electoral process.
The event was organised by the EC and funded by the United States Agency for International Development ahead of the District Assembly’s Elections on March 3.
She said since the enactment of the Constitutional Instrument (CI 75), it was incumbent upon the media to keep the public informed about the provisions in the law so that the electorate would be well informed and make informed decisions during elections.
Mrs Adjalo said the media had contributed immensely towards deepening the country’s democratic dispensation and, therefore, tasked them to avoid any act that could plunge the country into turmoil due to false reportage on the electoral process.
Touching the District Level Elections, she said the exercise is non-partisan and cautioned all candidates to avoid using any party colours, symbols, platform, vehicles or anything associated with any political party for campaigning.
She, therefore, entreated the electorate to report any candidate that contravened the electoral laws regulating the District Assembly Election to the EC for sanctions.
The participants suggested that the District Level Elections should be made partisan since it is an open-secrete that most of the candidates that contested the elections were supported by political parties.
