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As part of its commitment to deepen democracy in Ghana and contribute to the conduct of free, fair, peaceful and transparent elections, the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA-Ghana) organized a National Stakeholder Forum on Wednesday, 27th April, 2016 under the theme Towards Credible, Acceptable and Violence-Free Elections in 2016: The Role of Key Stakeholders.

The objective of the forum was to provide a platform for key stakeholders to outline their preparations towards the 2016 General Elections and to highlight their role in ensuring the conduct of credible, acceptable and violence-free elections.

It was attended by over seventy participants from various organizations including the Electoral Commission, Security Agencies, Media, Judiciary, National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Clergy, Political Parties, Women’s Groups, Traditional Authorities, Youth Groups and the National Peace Council. The forum was chaired by Archbishop Gabriel Charles Pulmer-Buckle, Metropolitan Archbishop of the Catholic Church in Accra and Chairman of the IEA-Winner-Takes-All Advisory Committee.

The following papers were presented:

Towards Credible, Acceptable and Violence-Free Elections in 2016: The Role and Preparedness of the Electoral Commission, Samuel Tettey, Director of Elections, Electoral Commissions

Towards Credible, Acceptable and Violence-Free Elections in 2016: The Role and Preparedness of the Judiciary for the 2016 General Elections, Justice Dennis Adjei, Appeal Court Judge
Towards Credible, Acceptable and Violence-Free Elections in 2016: The Role and Preparedness of the Security Agencies, Agordzo, Director General Operations,

Ghana Police Service

Towards Credible, Acceptable and Violence-Free Elections in 2016: The Role and Preparedness of the Media as the 4th Estate of the Realm, Kwame Karikari, Chairman, Media Foundation for West Africa

SUMMARY OF PREPARATIONS TOWARDS THE 2016 GENERAL ELECTIONS

The Electoral Commission (EC):

Preparation towards the 2016 General Elections are on-going as key proposals for electoral reform are being implemented. These include:
Arrangements to hold the 2016 General Elections on November 7 to allow adequate time for possible run-offs and smooth transition.

Improving the qualification levels of EC polling officials to minimize mistakes in the conduct of polls and to ensure credibility of the polling process.
Institutionalizing the Inter-Party Advisory Committee Meetings to ensure a proper collaboration between the EC and its stakeholders.
Extending the number of days for the training of polling officials from 2 to 4 days.

Using the Biometric Verification Device (BVD) for the exhibition of the voters register prior to the 2016 polls.
Reduction of the number of voters per polling station by increasing the number of polling stations to 29,000.

Procuring all materials needed for the 2016 elections ahead of time.
Updating the BVD kits and voter register database software.
Allocating two BVDs to each polling station to forestall the adjoining of polls to the next day as occurred in the 2012 General Elections.
The Judiciary:

The judiciary also indicated its preparedness for the 2016 General Elections. In this regard, the following interventions are being implemented:
A review and update of its Election Adjudication Manual that deals with regulation of the voters’ registration exercise in Ghana. The aim of the review is to align the manual with CI 91.

A task force to sensitize judges and magistrates about the Election Adjudication Manual and all electoral laws so they can appreciate electoral matters relating to their jurisdiction.

Respond quickly to all election petitions (should they occur) by devising rules that deal with delays in pre-trial applications.
Establishing a Task Force to train all judges to deliver speedy and effective justice in accordance with the laws of Ghana.
Security Agencies:

The security agencies noted the keenly competitive nature of the 2016 General Elections and indicated their preparedness to ensure that the upcoming poll does not degenerate into violence. They outlined measures to police the electoral processes before, during and after the elections as follows:

Conducting Threats Assessments in the lead up to the General Elections and setting up of an Election Security Task Force (ESTF) to deal with all threats to national security. The ESTF, headed by the Inspector General of Police, is replicated at the regional and district levels. The Task Force, unlike the Regional and District Security Committees (REGSEC and DISEC) are insulated from the control of politicians. Again, unlike the REGSEC and DISEC that exist at all times, the ESTF would solely focus on and deal with security issues related to the upcoming 2016 General Elections.

Implementing sensitization programmes for the Security Agencies on how they could act professionally in handling election related matters and directing all Regional Commanders to ensure fairness and equity in providing security for all relevant stakeholders in the upcoming elections.

Putting in place measures to curb and deal with the activities of vigilante groups to ensure violence-free elections.
Training of Security personnel in frontline violence response, public order management, and VVIP protection.

Organizing Dialogue Series with election stakeholders including all parties to discuss the concerns of stakeholders about the police and how the police can work professionally to address election security challenges.

Providing security for all Presidential Candidates of the 2016 Elections and allowing the Candidates to make their own choice of security details.
Organizing special outreach programmes in local communities to sensitize the local people on security matters and their role in ensuring a violence-free election. The programme is under the theme Safer Communities, Before, During and After the Elections.

The Security Agencies are preparing to embark on constant border patrols to check infiltration of foreign nationals during polling day.
The Media:

The media’s role is fundamental in ensuring the conduct of issues-based and peaceful elections. Media practitioners and media houses are always prepared to publish stories and to generate discussions on matters relating to elections.
Whereas some media houses demonstrate professionalism in their work and are educating Ghanaians to vote on issues in the upcoming elections, others are overly partisan and tend to spew propaganda, publish falsehood as well as sensational stories that tend to create tension in the body politic.
Media tyranny and the use of abusive language by the media are sometimes perpetrated under the direct supervision of politicians who own some of the media outlets.

RECOMMENDATIONS

After extensive discussions, the stakeholders pledged their commitment to ensuring a credible, acceptable and violence-free election. The following were the recommendations made:
The Electoral Commission
The EC should adhere to its own time table as spelt out in the Election Calendar.

The EC should collaborate with all stakeholders in fully resolving the impasse and challenges with the voters register as well as ensuring the conduct of free and fair elections.

While the independence of the EC should be protected and respected, the EC should also be accountable to the will of Ghanaians and should take all steps to ensure the conduct of free, fair, peaceful and transparent elections.

The Judiciary

The various training schedules for judges should be carried out on time to fully equip and prepare the judiciary to handle all election related matters expeditiously.
Ghana should implement international conventions, particularly AU and ECOWAS treaties on elections to boost the credibility of the electoral process.

The Security Agencies

The Security Agencies should act professionally to deal with the perception of bias against the opposition parties and to boost public confidence in their activities before, during and after the elections.

Political parties should refrain from encouraging the formation of vigilante groups. The security agencies perceive the activities of vigilante groups as criminal. Such groups and those behind them would therefore be dealt with ruthlessly and in accordance with the laws of the land.

There should be thorough and effective training for the Security Agencies to be abreast with electoral processes and the laws regulating the processes.
The police should also deal with ‘thugs and machomen’ as well as those who incite violence.

The Security Agencies should work to reduce the proliferation of arms in Ghana and endeavor to ensure that all Ghanaians who wield guns register them.

The Media

The media should eschew sensationalism in its reportage and report only the truth. They should refrain from the use of abusive language and desist from inciting violence. Where media practitioners incite violence, they should be dealt with according to the law.
The media should always be prepared to offer apologies and retractions of stories when necessary.

The State-Owned media should endeavor to create a level playing field for all political parties in the lead up to the 2016 General Elections.
The Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association should put in place a mechanism to regulate the performance of its members at least against inciting violence with assistance from the National Media Commission and National Communications Authority.

Efforts to encourage the media to avoid inciting violence should not be license for security personnel to harass the media and journalists for broadcasting or publishing unpalatable material, especially about the incumbent under any spurious excuse of national security.

The media should not call election results. They should wait and only publish official elections results from the EC after voting.

Signed

Mrs. Jean Mensa

(Executive Director, IEA)

27th April, 2016