EC justifies re-collation of results in some constituencies

The Electoral Commission (EC) has defended its decision to move the collation and re-collation of results from some constituencies in the Eastern Region to the Tesano Police Training School in Accra.

Dr. Bossman Asare, Deputy Chair of Corporate Services at the EC, explained that the move was necessary to address irregularities that breached the procedures outlined in Constitutional Instrument (C.I.) 127. Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on December 14, he emphasized that Regulation 43 of C.I. 127 provides clear guidelines for the collation of parliamentary election results, which were not followed in certain areas.

“When you look at C.I. 127, Regulation 43 specifies the procedure for collation, including the requirement for each candidate to have two agents present during the process. Unfortunately, in some constituencies, these guidelines were not adhered to,” Dr. Asare said.

He pointed to cases where proper collation did not take place or where procedures were inconsistent with the law. “Once the process deviates from C.I. 127, Regulation 43, it becomes the Commission’s responsibility to correct the anomalies,” he stated.

The EC faced criticism for relocating collation centres, with political parties questioning the credibility of the process. In the Eastern Region, collation centres for four constituencies were relocated following disputes and chaotic incidents.

Dr. Asare highlighted specific irregularities, including in Okaikwei Central, where results were declared using data from only 110 out of 141 polling stations, leaving about 30 polling station results unaccounted for. In another instance in Tema, results were reportedly declared at the regional police command by an unaccredited individual. He also cited incidents where declarations were made under duress, including threats at knifepoint.

“These incidents were clear violations of the law, and the Commission could not accept such results as legitimate,” he said.

The decision to use the Tesano Police Training School for the re-collation process was made in consultation with the Ghana Police Service to ensure a secure and controlled environment.

Dr. Asare emphasized that the EC is committed to maintaining the credibility of elections rather than influencing their outcomes. “We don’t care who wins or loses. Our priority is to protect the integrity of the process as outlined by law,” he stated.

He assured the public that the EC would remain transparent and adhere to legal procedures, adding that safeguarding the integrity of elections is essential to maintaining public trust in the Commission’s work.