At an event in Accra, the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO), which includes a wide range of election-observing civil society organizations (CSOs), launched its National Information Centre and election-day observation activities ahead of the December polls.
Since its establishment in 2000, election observers under the CODEO umbrella have monitored multiple election cycles, providing independent assessments and recommendations that have played a significant role in electoral reforms and the strengthening of Ghana’s democracy.
Fred Deegbe, Chairman of CODEO, expressed the readiness of the election observers and emphasized their vital role in the December 7 elections.
“Once stationed at the polling stations, observers will monitor the setup, the opening of the polling station, voting, closing and counting procedure and declaration. They will regularly submit organisational reports reflecting their findings and provide updates on incidents throughout the day. On the other hand, CODEO’s mobile observers will visit the polling stations in their constituencies”, he stated.
He also mentioned that CODEO will hold three press briefings on December 7 to update the public on its observations. Additionally, CODEO will release its Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) to validate the results announced by the Electoral Commission (EC).
UK Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Harriet Thompson, expressed confidence in the work of election observers while officially opening the CODEO Information Centre.
“CODEO, to the leadership, to the observers they have around the country, they’ve got a really important role to play in the election. We have full confidence that they are going to do that to an excellent standard. We are delighted to be supporting them and we wish everyone the best”
Meanwhile, Elizabeth Joyce Villars, Co-Chair of CODEO, cautioned against voter inducements and urged all stakeholders to adhere strictly to electoral rules.
“The Electoral Commission and security agents must guarantee the secrecy of the vote and take appropriate measures in case of any attempt to influence voters. The EC and all polling stations must firmly, impartially and objectively apply electoral rules to ensure fair process.”
In an interview with Channel One News, Rev. James Nahari, Chairman of the West Africa Election Observer Network, shared his expectations ahead of the elections.
“I expect that the Electoral Commission remains unbiased, applies the rules and enforces compliance from all contenders. We expect observers to be professional and to ensure they send us accurate data”, he said.
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