The Electoral Commission (EC) has announced that it will start training the Collation Officers it has appointed on December 7.
This training will equip them with the necessary electoral skills to support the work of returning officers at the constituency level. The initiative aims to strengthen the integrity of the collation process and ensure results are clearly presented.
At an Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting in Accra, Dr. Eric Bossman Asare, the Deputy Chairman in charge of Corporate Services, explained that the collation officers would work alongside the returning officer but maintain their independence.
During the meeting, IPAC addressed two main topics: concerns regarding the accreditation of party representatives at collation centers and information about the centers themselves. The EC also detailed the number of representatives each party would be allowed to send at different stages of the collation process.
Regarding media presence, the EC stated that it is in discussions with the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) to determine the number of media outlets permitted at the collation centers.
Dr. Eric Bossman Asare further clarified that collation at the constituency centers would commence after polling stations close at 5 p.m.
Addressing concerns about potential power outages on Election Day, Samuel Tetty, the Deputy Chairman responsible for operations, assured that the commission has made arrangements for additional electricity supply.
The Electoral Commission’s (EC) decision to employ collation officers has sparked reactions from some political parties, including the main opposition, the NDC. Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, the NDC’s Director of Elections, expressed concerns that the appointment of these collation officers could undermine the responsibilities of the returning officers.
Dr. Omane Boamah also pointed out the party’s apprehension over the EC’s delay in providing the list of officials for both the special voting and the December 7 elections.
The EC also addressed the reported discrepancies in the printing of ballot papers for the Volta Region. The commission clarified that it has instructed regional and district staff to thoroughly review and verify the received ballot papers to ensure their accuracy and consistency with the statistics submitted to the printing press and political parties.
The EC noted that the issues with ballot paper shortfalls in the Volta Region are not unique to that area, as similar problems have been reported in the Greater Accra, Western North, Upper West, Western, and Bono East regions.
The commission assured the public that they can trust the EC to conduct a credible and transparent election.
