ELECTORAL COMMISSION IS A WORLD MODEL-NMC EX SEC VOUCHES

George Sarpong, Executive Secretary of the National Media Commission

The Executive Secretary of the National Media Commission, George Sarpong, has vouched for the integrity and professional competence of Ghana’s Electoral Commission, EC, in the performance of its mandate as the body responsible for the conduct of public and intra- party elections in the country. 

 He has described the EC as a model of election management body in the world and has been the standard bearer in the organization of public elections across the globe. 

It is therefore unthinkable for any person or group of persons to impugn wrong doing on the part of the EC. 

Mr. Sarpong made the point at a day’s capacity building workshop for selected media practitioners in the Ashanti region. 

The event, organized by the EC, with funds by the USAID, was to empower the participants with enough information about the laws that regulate the conduct of District Level elections in Ghana involving District Assemblies and Unit Committees.

It aimed also to pep the media practitioners up to engender public interest and active participation in the District Level Elections scheduled for early March this year. 

The NMC Executive Secretary stressed the fact that the EC has over the years, performed its functions within the legal remit and that people or groups that have over the years castigated the Commission after almost every national election do so with bad intentions for selfish political reasons. 

Mr. Sarpong charged the media and media practitioners to be up and doing in living up to expectation as the watchdog of the society. 

By this, they should develop critical minds that can critically scrutinize claims by politicians with the interest of the society and their audience or readers in mind.

 In his view, it is the mandate of the media to provide both the electorate and candidates of elections with enough non-partial information for both sides to make informed decisions. 

In his own words “the media should not be the dog of the politician who determines what the media practitioner should do”.

Background

Ghana’s Electoral Commission, EC, was first established as the Interim Elections Commission of Ghana during the country’s transition from military rule to a democracy. 

Its first assignment were to organize a Referendum for the transition from a military rule to a democracy as well as the 1992 Parliamentary and Presidential elections to start the 4^th Republic.

 It has since presided over all the presidential and parliamentary elections in the country that have produced four presidents beginning with former Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings followed by John Agyekum Kuffuor, then Professor John Evans Atta-Mills and now John Dramani Mahama.

 Only the NDC and NPP have won elections during the period but after almost every such elections, the losing political party accused the EC for its defeat with the current main opposition party, New Patriotic Party, NPP challenging outcome of the 2012 Presidential elections at the Supreme Court for him to be declared the winner of that election.