Lack of voter awareness undermines EC mounting of platform
Gilbert Boyefio
22/08/2006
The Electoral Commission has observed that lack of voters' awareness of their rights and responsibilities during election periods always undermines the principles of the mounting of platforms for candidates.
Addressing journalists at a media encounter in Accra Monday, the Deputy Chairman of the Electoral Commission in charge of operations, Kwadjo Sarfo Katanka, said the idea of mounting platforms for candidates was to afford them the opportunity to market themselves to voters, and also for voters to assess and express opinions about the candidates without fear of intimidation.
He said because voters are not aware of these rights, they often do not participate in such events, affording unscrupulous candidates the opportunity to bring their chosen followers to the event to cheer them on blindly, and also make false claims and promises. He appealed to media practitioners to intensify public education on voters" rights to enable the electorate hold candidates to their word.
Touching on the manner of media report on elections, Mr Katanka advised journalists to avoid generalisation of electoral reports and focus on the specifics. He stressed the importance of journalists having up to date information concerning the legal and voting framework for elections in the country to enable them file appropriate electoral reports.
He further advised that correspondents verify events they observed at polling stations from electoral officials before reporting them to the public, disclosing that even though the basic frameworks are the same, some aspects of the voting process vary from polling station to polling station.
He cautioned members of the press to be mindful of their reportage before, during and after elections, since any unguarded statement made during such periods can lead to confusion and violence. He cited an instance were a lady was nearly lynched at Kumasi during the 1992 presidential election for allegedly having in her possession, electoral materials during the voting period.
A regional director of the EC, Mohammed Adoquaye, said during the mounting of platforms some of the questions that the electorate are at liberty to ask can be based on both legal and moral issues. He said platform monitors do not have the right to disqualify a candidate after it has been proven, with evidence, that he is not qualified to contest the election. He explained that when a situation like that arises it has to be reported to the head office, where further investigations will be conducted into the issue before an action can be taken on the matter.
He said apart from the legal grounds on which a candidate can be disqualified, no candidate can be disqualified on moral grounds. He said it is the choice of voters, during voting, to reject all candidates with questionable characters.
He pointed out that a candidate can take an electorate to court if unsubstantiated allegations are made by the electorate against that candidate.
On the up coming district assembly and unit committee elections, Mr Adoquaye said statistics available indicate that out of the 236 seats in the Greater Accra Regional electoral areas, only 218 seats are being contested for, this comprises 731 males and 92 females. For the unit committee election the fear that the number of candidates needed would not be met was confirmed when the electorate in the district nominated less than 10 people to contest for the election.
Out of the 1,219 unit committees in the 11districts which are expected to elect 15 unit committee members, only 3,675 people are contesting instead of the expected number of 18,285 people. 645 females and 3,030 males are contesting for the unit committee election.
22/08/2006
The Electoral Commission has observed that lack of voters' awareness of their rights and responsibilities during election periods always undermines the principles of the mounting of platforms for candidates.
Addressing journalists at a media encounter in Accra Monday, the Deputy Chairman of the Electoral Commission in charge of operations, Kwadjo Sarfo Katanka, said the idea of mounting platforms for candidates was to afford them the opportunity to market themselves to voters, and also for voters to assess and express opinions about the candidates without fear of intimidation.
He said because voters are not aware of these rights, they often do not participate in such events, affording unscrupulous candidates the opportunity to bring their chosen followers to the event to cheer them on blindly, and also make false claims and promises. He appealed to media practitioners to intensify public education on voters" rights to enable the electorate hold candidates to their word.
Touching on the manner of media report on elections, Mr Katanka advised journalists to avoid generalisation of electoral reports and focus on the specifics. He stressed the importance of journalists having up to date information concerning the legal and voting framework for elections in the country to enable them file appropriate electoral reports.
He further advised that correspondents verify events they observed at polling stations from electoral officials before reporting them to the public, disclosing that even though the basic frameworks are the same, some aspects of the voting process vary from polling station to polling station.
He cautioned members of the press to be mindful of their reportage before, during and after elections, since any unguarded statement made during such periods can lead to confusion and violence. He cited an instance were a lady was nearly lynched at Kumasi during the 1992 presidential election for allegedly having in her possession, electoral materials during the voting period.
A regional director of the EC, Mohammed Adoquaye, said during the mounting of platforms some of the questions that the electorate are at liberty to ask can be based on both legal and moral issues. He said platform monitors do not have the right to disqualify a candidate after it has been proven, with evidence, that he is not qualified to contest the election. He explained that when a situation like that arises it has to be reported to the head office, where further investigations will be conducted into the issue before an action can be taken on the matter.
He said apart from the legal grounds on which a candidate can be disqualified, no candidate can be disqualified on moral grounds. He said it is the choice of voters, during voting, to reject all candidates with questionable characters.
He pointed out that a candidate can take an electorate to court if unsubstantiated allegations are made by the electorate against that candidate.
On the up coming district assembly and unit committee elections, Mr Adoquaye said statistics available indicate that out of the 236 seats in the Greater Accra Regional electoral areas, only 218 seats are being contested for, this comprises 731 males and 92 females. For the unit committee election the fear that the number of candidates needed would not be met was confirmed when the electorate in the district nominated less than 10 people to contest for the election.
Out of the 1,219 unit committees in the 11districts which are expected to elect 15 unit committee members, only 3,675 people are contesting instead of the expected number of 18,285 people. 645 females and 3,030 males are contesting for the unit committee election.
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