The Electoral Commission (EC) has given assurance that it will conduct free, fair and credible polls in the 2024 general election as it continues to maintain its transparency in all electoral processes.
Chairperson of the EC Mrs. Jean Mensa gave the assurance on Friday when she and her team briefed members of the legislature on their activities ahead of the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections.
“From the registration to the declaration, our processes are embedded with one key ingredient. And that is transparency.
“As such we will continue to operate in the spirit of transparency, fairness and integrity as embedded in our motto,” Mrs. Mensa added.
The EC Chairperson also gave further assurances to the lawmakers at the ‘Committee of the Whole’ where both caucuses converge to discuss matters of national interest.
According to her, all necessary measures have been taken to safeguard the integrity of the 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.
The appearance of the EC chairperson in Parliament coincides with increased public scrutiny and interest in the electoral process, with various stakeholders calling for accountability and transparency in the run-up to the elections.
Some lawmakers raised issues regarding security during elections.
However, Mrs. Mensa reiterated that the EC was not responsible for election security and that the commission did everything possible to enhance the transparency of the election.
“Mr. Speaker, my outfit has introduced rigorous means of collecting data as far as its activities are concerned,” she stressed.
Missing laptops
The EC chairperson stated that the recent theft of five laptops from the EC office will have no impact on the upcoming 2024 general election.
The theft raised concerns about the potential impact on the electoral process, prompting the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to request an independent investigation and audit.
However, Mrs. Mensa told the lawmakers that the missing laptops contained no sensitive information and were separate from the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) kits.
“Mr Speaker, with the BVD, yes, I think we’ve mentioned over time that what we lost were five laptops and that was realised doing routine maintenance. However, you know, we’ve taken steps to beef up our security in those places to ensure that these things will not happen again. But I think we’ve assured you many times that it has no bearing. You know, the missing laptops have no bearing on the registration of the election.
“Indeed, even if you assume that a BVR or a BVD was stolen, let’s assume because humans go there, they can be mischievous to carry the whole thing, they have to be activated. There are certain security processes that a BVD or a BVR has to go through to be connected to our system. And so on its own, it cannot be used to register anymore,” the EC chairperson told Parliament.
She emphasised that the theft would not jeopardize the elections’ integrity because the laptops required activation and security clearance to connect to the EC’s system.
Mrs. Mena reassured the public that the EC was committed to ensuring the electoral process’s security and integrity.
General elections will be held in Ghana on Saturday, 7 December 2024 to elect a president and Members of Parliament.
Incumbent President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is ineligible to run after his second term of four years.
