Insistence on 24-hour results reporting in post-election matters – Kwesi Aning

Security analyst Prof Kwesi Aning hinted that the Election Commission’s commitment to declare results after 24 hours of general elections was among the problems that complicated the aftermath of the poll.

According to him, given the tension and other concerns raised by some political parties, the commission should not have limited itself to such a deadline.

“Part of the challenge was the insistence of the 24 hour statement that from the start there were indications that seem, probably we should give ourselves some leeway because of the tension, the mistrust that anything that doesn’t do not fit into what this institution [EC] had promised the Ghanaian people, then that could lead to suspicion, ”he said.

Ahead of the December 7 elections, the EC announced that it would declare the 2020 election results within 24 hours.

Director of Election Services Dr Serebour Quaicoe, in an interview with Joy News’ Mamavi Owusu Aboagye, said plans were in place to ensure that there were no undue delays in reporting results in 24 hours after the close of the poll.

In response to this comment, the Chief Electoral Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) called the target “unrealistic”.

He further added that these “unrealistic expectations” created by the EC could force it to “prepare figures” if they are not able to announce it within this time frame.

Professor Kwesi Aning recalled that the deadline communicated for the declaration of results can be attributed to the consequences of electoral conflicts.

He also felt that the various figures projected by the commission are other critical issues that challenge the credibility of the commission, which is causing tensions across the country.

“Some of the critical questions related to why and how this multiplicity of different numbers have arisen and, more importantly, the signal it sends to the generality of the Ghanaian public and, by extension, our confidence in the reliability of this institution and it is regrettable.