Justice V.C.R.A.C. Crabbe, Chairperson of the Advisory Board of the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) said on Sunday despite the logistical and technical challenges, the December 7 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections have been well-conducted.
He said the problems and lapses in the voting process which resulted in adjournment of the polls did not fundamentally undermine the overall integrity of the conduct of the polling, counting and collation of ballots.
Justice Crabbe disclosed this at a press conference organized by CODEO in Accra.
He said CODEO estimated a voter turnout of 78 per cent with a margin of error of +/-0.1 per cent compared to the official turnout rate of approximately 70 per cent in the first round of election 2008.
Justice Crabbe however commended Ghanaians for turning out in their numbers to express their political will and affirm their fundamental rights to choose their leaders.
He said CODEO would monitor and observe the post-election environment and finally release a detailed report with recommendations for further improvement in the electoral process.
Justice Crabbe said CODEO received reports from 99 per cent of its 4,000 observers deployed around the country who reported a number of incidents of biometric machine malfunctioning during the election process.
He said by 6am on Friday, 95 per cent of the CODEO observers reported that 78 per cent of polling officers were at their assigned polling stations while 22 per cent were not present, 99 per cent electoral officers recognized the observers while 34 observers were not permitted to observe.
He said the report also indicate that 87 per cent were set up in manner that enabled voters to cast their vote secretly and 13 per cent was not set up according to the regulations, 95 per cent polling stations were accessible to persons with disability, 99 per cent representation of the two major political parties.
“The Convention People’s Party, Ghana Freedom Party, National Democratic Party, Great Consolidated People’s Party, People’s National Convention, Progressive People’s Party, United Front Party, United Renaissance Party and the Independent Candidate, as well as the two major political parties had representation of their agents.
“Eighty-five per cent of uniformed security personnel were present while 93 per cent of election materials at polling stations were available, with 49 per cent of polling stations opened at 0715 among other things.”
Professor Miranda Greenstreet, Co-Chairperson of CODEO said the Coalition recommended that the Electoral Commission (EC) should take recommendations of CODEO seriously to improve the delivery of Election-Day logistics to polling stations adding that “If Ghana is to continue with the biometric verification system for voting then the EC must procure adequate biometric logistics and associative protective measures and back-ups to forestall malfunction during polling.”
She said the recommendation also required the EC to undertake early and comprehensive voter education on changes in voting laws and procedures ahead of polling date and should be more proactive in the provision of information on its work to political parties, observer groups and the Ghanaian public.
“The EC must collaborate more closely with domestic civil society observers groups and continue to facilitate accreditation of observer groups to enable them to observe at collation centres and the strong room, revisit and possibly restore early voting status to observer groups and the media and must ensure that adequate numbers of tactile ballots are made available for the visually impaired in future elections.
“CODEO commends all stakeholders of the election and Ghanaians for their overall comportment in the election which has so far been considered successful and peaceful. Now the polls are nearly over and even after the inauguration it is absolutely necessary that our political parties and their leaders take adequate measures to bridge the gap and reduce the tendency for winner takes all politics.”