Electoral Commission shot itself in the foot with 24hour time frame promise

The 2020 Campaign Manager of the New Patriotic Party, (NPP) Mr Peter Mac Manu has said the Electoral Commission of Ghana unintentionally hurt itself when it set 24hours time frame within which to declare the results of the 2020 elections.

According to him, tabulating election results was not easy as it seem hence it would have been appropriate if the EC did not set the time frame.

Mr Mac Manu who had been present during declaration of results right from the tenure of the first Electoral Commissioner, Dr Afari Gyan, through to Mrs Charlotte Osei and Mrs Jean Mensa said more often than not on such days, there were undue pressure and tension on the commissioners which was likely to propel them to committee errors.

The NPP loyalist made the comment in an interview on PM Express aired on JoyNews on Tuesday, April 4 and monitored by GhanaPlus.com.

Adopt best practices in other part of the world in election declaration

He said going forward, the Electoral Commission should emulate best practices in other part of the world so not to put endue pressure on itself adding the EC shot itself in the foot with the 24hours time frame within which it promise to announce the results.

“I think they should look at best practices around the world go and take a look or have conversations with them and bring it on board because they over stretched themselves with this 24hours promise, they shot themselves in the foot with this 24hr promise,” he said.

He proposed, the EC takes a look at the five days time frame practice by South African in declaring results since it would allow ample time for pre-auditing before announcement.

“EC shot itself in the foot by proposing 24hour frame to declare result I think that so and I said that today as well, I think we should go the South African way as I said and because the south African way has a law, and I have proposed this at constitutional amendment committee. I said five days maximum and then that would lead to a pre-auditing just like they do in South Africa”.

Source: GhanaPlus.com