The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) has called on political parties and aspirants to use the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) to resolve grievances ahead of the general elections.
It stated that IPAC had always offered a good platform to resolve matters, hence parties should strengthen their collaborations with the Electoral Commission (EC) for credible, free, and fair elections.
This was contained in a press statement signed and issued by CODEO National Coordinator, Mr Albert Kofi Arhin, in Accra yesterday to announce its findings on the observation of the voter exhibition.
It comes at a time the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has hit the street as part of its series of events to push for a forensic audit of the voter register, following its discovery of discrepancies.
The CODEO statement said there was low representation of political parties at the exhibition centres monitored by the observers.
The statement revealed that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) agents were seen at only 15 per cent of the centres visited by CODEO observers, while agents from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) were present at just about 10 per cent of exhibition centres observed.
It added that there were no agents for any other parties in the 405 exhibition centres visited by CODEO observers in 45 constituencies across eight regions where the report was conducted.
The Coalition said the limited presence of party agents at exhibition centres and other minor issues required attention to ensure a more comprehensive and credible electoral process.
He called on all political parties to improve the deployment of party agents to subsequent voter exhibition exercises.
This, it said, provided the opportunity for their grievances to be addressed, thereby boosting confidence and trust in the voters’ register.
“CODEO has taken note of reports regarding the illegal transfer of voters and the resulting call by the NDC for a forensic audit of the register and the responses from the EC.
“The utility of the exhibition exercise is meant to expose and correct discrepancies, inaccuracies, and any issues with the register, and this is the reason all stakeholders are encouraged to take the exhibition seriously, including the political parties, aspiring candidates, and the public,” the statement read.
The statement, however, noted that the vast majority of the exhibition centres were physically accessible to persons with disabilities and the elderly, stressing that only five per cent of centres were not disability-friendly.
“CODEO observers confirmed the availability of essential materials for the exhibition exercise at all centres observed. These include the Provisional Voters Register, Objection Forms, Correction Forms, and Inclusion Forms.
“During the voter exhibition exercise, our observers reported inconsistencies in the provision of instructions by EC officials regarding how registered voters could make claims or objections to the voter register,” the statement added.
The statement also noted that the exhibition exercise commenced early, before or slightly after the official 7:00 a.m. start time, at most of the centres observed by CODEO.
It said the observation revealed that the majority of the exhibition centres commenced exhibition between 6:45 a.m. and 7:30 a.m., adding that no centres visited by CODEO observers failed to open for exhibition.
BY TIMES REPORTER
