The Electoral Commission (EC) has defended its decision to restrict media access during the upcoming elections, stating that the move is necessary to ensure a smooth collation exercise.
The EC in a memo on Tuesday noted that there would be eight media houses per constituency collation centre, three tv stations- two personnel per station and five radio stations- one personnel per station.
At the regional collation centre it said there would 12 media houses per each regional collation centre, five tv stations- two personnel per station and seven radio stations – one personnel per station.
In an interview on Eyewitness News on Citi FM on Tuesday, Dr Bossman Asare, Deputy Chairperson of the EC, explained that the commission’s decision was made after careful consideration.
“In the wisdom of the commission, the conclusion was that to create an enabling environment for a smooth collation exercise, let’s restrict the numbers,” he stated.
According to Dr Asare, the EC believes that limiting the number of media houses at the constituency level to eight and at the regional level to 12 is appropriate.
“We think at the constituency level to have eight media houses is generally appropriate and at the regional level, 12 media houses is very much appropriate,” he added.
The EC’s decision comes amid concerns about the potential for overcrowding and disruptions during the collation process. By restricting media access, the commission aims to create a more controlled and efficient environment for the collation of election results.
Dr Asare emphasised that the EC remains committed to transparency and will ensure that the media has adequate access to information while maintaining order during the collation exercise.
