The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) has expressed disappointment over the challenges encountered during the nationwide District Level Elections on Tuesday, December 19.
CODEO attributed the issues to the Electoral Commission (EC) falling short of its responsibilities and urged the commission to improve its performance.
Problems such as malfunctioning Biometric Verification Devices (BVD), delays in distributing voting materials to certain centers, and the detection of errors on ballot papers leading to the postponement of voting in some areas marred the electoral process.
Albert Arhin, the National Coordinator for CODEO, emphasized the need for the Electoral Commission to learn from these issues.
Arhin highlighted managerial lapses, citing instances where candidate names were mismatched with incorrect pictures on the ballot papers.
He suggested that such errors could have been rectified on-site by designated teams, emphasizing the responsibility of the EC in overseeing the entire process.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) also held the Electoral Commission accountable for the election’s challenges.
Mustapha Gbande, Deputy Secretary of the NDC, asserted that election management is a dynamic process requiring experience, consultation, and collaboration with experts.
He criticized the EC for not heeding warnings and emphasized the importance of taking responsibility beyond mere apologies.
Gbande accused the EC of mishandling the election system despite prior cautions, calling for accountability rather than dismissing concerns.
