Jean Mensa, the Chairperson of Ghana’s Electoral Commission (EC), has clarified the Commission’s position on the provision of summary statistics alongside the certified election register. Speaking to stakeholders, Mensa stated that while the EC has never been legally bound to provide such summaries, it remains committed to transparency and has chosen to fulfill the recent request for additional data.
“We have never been obligated to provide a summary with the certified register,” Mensa explained. “The register, as it is, is certified and complete. If anyone chooses to request a summary, that’s their prerogative, but legally, we are not bound to provide it. This has been the practice since 1992, and there’s no requirement under the law for it.”
Mensa also noted that the EC had provided soft copies of the register in previous years, including 2019, 2020, and 2023, none of which included summary statistics. She reassured stakeholders that the absence of such summaries does not impact the validity of the register.
“The fact that there’s no summary does not make the register uncertified,” she stated. “What you have now is the certified copy of the register. You may choose to return it if you wish, but it remains certified and legally valid.”
However, in response to recent demands, the EC has decided to produce the requested summaries. Mensa emphasized that this decision was made in the interest of openness and to accommodate stakeholder requests. She explained, “In the spirit of transparency and responsiveness, we have decided to provide the detailed summary. While it’s not a legal requirement, we see no issue in generating it for the stakeholders.”
Mensa also addressed concerns over the certification timeline, reminding the public that the EC has 21 days to finalize the register. “The register was certified on Friday. We’re well within the 21-day period, and it remains fully certified and credible. This is the final register, fit for a transparent election in December 2024.”
In closing, Mensa reiterated the EC’s stance on transparency and responsiveness. “We’re committed to transparency. Tomorrow, we will notify stakeholders and send the summaries, either by WhatsApp or email. For those who choose to return their certified copies, they can retrieve them after receiving the summary. However, it must be clear – we are not legally required to provide these summaries. This decision is solely in the interest of transparency.”
With this announcement, the EC aims to assure the public of the robustness of the electoral register, ahead of what promises to be a critical election period.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Emmanuel Mensah
