Election 2020 will be peaceful, fair, credible and transparent - EC

Mrs Jean Mensa, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC) on Tuesday reiterated that the Commission is working frantically to ensure that Election 2020 will be peaceful, fair, credible and transparent.

To this end the EC, she said had put together a litany of activity calendar, a strategic plan, and budget to ensure that all electoral events especially election 2020 was rolled out efficiently, professionally and smoothly.

Mrs Mensa said this when she led a team of Commissioners of the EC to pay a courtesy call on the Management of Citi FM /Citi Television in Accra.

Included in the team were her two deputies - Mr Samuel Tettey, in-charge of Operations, and Dr Eric Bossman Asare, in-charge of Corporate Services.

The team was welcomed by Mr Samuel Attah-Mensah, Managing Director of Citi FM/Citi TV together with Mr Bernard Avle, General Manager of Citi Fm, Mr Richard Mensah, Director of Citi TV.

Mrs Mensa said as part of efforts to build a solid institution that would be trusted by stakeholders, it was fostering strong collaboration and soliciting the support through visitation.

The EC Chairperson said it had taken steps to run an open door policy devoid of secrecy to discuss challenges and measures to address them.

“So far we have implemented a number of activities, such as the referendum, by-elections and consultation of the Representation of People Amendment Act. This could not have been done without their support,” she said.

“We are demystifying the commission and bringing it to the doorstep of stakeholders. The EC will not only wait for people to go them, this time we have taken the initiative to visit the people and organisations we work with.”

Internally, Mrs Mensa said the Commission was undertaking reforms and standardising the operations of the various departments including; the Finance and Communication, with the support institutions such as KPMG and Public Services Commission to make it vibrant.

She said the Commission also set up a Legal Service department was retooling, recruiting and building the capacity of the Information Communication Technology to take charge of its systems.

“We did not have a scheme of service. Now we are doing a lot to motivate staff. Already people have been promoted and we have instituted a staff debars where people can air their views on critical issues.”

Mr Mensa said the commission would tap the professional competence of local technology companies to ensure that the EC run its electoral event successfully.

Since assumption of office, she recounted that the Commission successfully organised the referendum that led to the creation of the six new regions, and thereafter, supervised the by-election in Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency in Accra to replace the Member of Parliament who passed on.

“The elections were characterised by violence and as we continue to say it did not emanate from the activities within the polling stations.”

“We have learnt many lessons including; paying more attention to security, the training of EC workers and stakeholders, especially the media. This will be beneficial in the next election,” she said.

Mr Attah-Mensah urged the EC to employ modern technologies to tabulate the results to reduce the incidence of agitation and anxiety during elections.

“Let’s use Ghanaian software development companies to fast track the release and computation of results. This will help fast track declaration of results. It will also safeguard the security of the data of Ghanaians instead of allowing a foreign company to handle it,” he said.