<<Print>>

The current system for the District Level Elections (DLE) is not working as it should, the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) has stated, stressing that the country does not seem to be reaping the full benefits of the huge resources pumped into the elections.

CODEO’s remarks followed a very low turnout during the just-ended district level elections across the country—a situation it expressed concerns about.

According to the election observer group, the consistent lack of interest in DLE has implications for effective grassroots participation and inclusive development.

At a news conference in Accra yesterday, CODEO said the current system for the DLE “is not working well and Ghana is not reaping the full benefits of the resources sunk into organising the elections.

Therefore “there is the need to do a holistic assessment to find out the reasons for the low patronage and advance solutions to the problem,” CODEO stated yesterday in a preliminary statement on the September 1, 2015 district level elections.

The election monitors deployed 700 observers to watch the elections and, according to the analysis of reports received from its observers, CODEO indicated its satisfaction with the conduct of the elections, saying they were consistent with the electoral laws of the country, and that arrangements by the Electoral Commission (EC) were adequate to enable eligible Ghanaians cast their votes.

However, CODEO identified problems that affected the elections including issues with the voters registers, disruptions of voting and counting process.

The rest were protests and demonstrations which affected turnout as well as the inability of the police to provide security for all polling centres across the country.

To this end, the co-chair for CODEO, Professor Miranda Greenstreet, entreated the EC to review its performance on Election Day, and take a critical look at the few challenges recorded during polling, particularly those relating to arrival of polling officials, setting up of polls, and the malfunctioning of biometric devices, to prevent similar occurrences in the 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections.

Whiles CODEO commended the security agencies for professionally conducting themselves in responding to a few election-related incidents and disruptions that occurred during the elections, CODEO also called on the security agencies to endeavour and deploy to all polling stations in future elections.

The group also urged the security agencies to evaluate their deployment for this election so as to learn any lessons that can help inform their preparation towards the 2016 General Elections and other subsequent ones.