Jean Mensa, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), has disclosed that the Commission is preparing a code of conduct with sanctions for members of staff as a measure to enhance operational performance.
According to her, “although elections are won and lost at the polling stations, it is the responsibility of the commission to put effective and efficient measures in place to ensure that the polls are credible, free, fair and transparent.”
Mrs Mensa made the disclosure when a delegation from the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) paid a courtesy call on the leadership of the Electoral Commission to forge partnership with them.
The 12-member CODEO delegation included Albert Arhin, National Coordinator, Elizabeth Villars, a member of CODEO Advisory Board, Reverend Dr Fred Degbe, Ambassador K. Tsegah, Felicia Annof, Alexander Bankole, Nickolas Akyire, all members of the Advisory Board.
Also present at the meeting were Samuel Tettey and Dr Bossman Eric Asare, both Deputy Chairman of the EC.
Mrs Mensa noted that the code of conduct would deter the staff at polling stations and others in operational performance to be guided and guarded to engage in malpractices or in collusion to mar elections in the country.
“Elections in the country must be credible, free, fair and transparent for both the political parties and the citizenry to accept the results of polls so as not to mar our peace, unity, stability, security and national cohesion to sustain our beacon of democratic governance accolade,” she assured.
Sheikh
Aremeyaw Shaibu, Acting Co-Chairman of CODEO, said the EC’s position and
mandate was critical to the democratic and good governance sustenance of the
country and assured the EC of the Coalition’s support and assistance towards
implementing its constitutional responsibility.
“CODEO’s contributions seek to compliment the
efforts of the EC, we will not act in any way to antagonise the efforts of the
commission, we have deployed 260 Civic Voter and Peace Educators as well as
1000 observers as well as a mass media campaign for the upcoming district level
elections and referendum to compliment your efforts at making the elections
peaceful and successful. -kasapafmonline.com
