Election 2024: EC not responsible for security – Jean Mensa

The Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson Jean Mensa has provided updates on the Commission’s preparations for the December 7 general elections, with a strong emphasis on the delineation of security responsibilities.

Speaking before Parliament today, Friday, July 19, 2024, the EC chair clarified a common misconception regarding the EC’s role in election security.

She stated: “It is important to note that while we engage under the platform of the election security task force at all levels – national, regional, and district – the Electoral Commission is not responsible for security. Very often, we’ve heard that the Electoral Commission is responsible for security, and we’d like to emphasize that this is a mandate for the security agencies.”

The EC chair elaborated on the collaborative efforts between the EC and security agencies, explaining: “What we do is to collaborate with them [security agencies] and provide them with details of all our centres, and provide them with details of printing arrangements to enable them to work with us and protect the ballot, especially when we are transporting these ballots to the regions. The police have full responsibility for security before, during, and after the elections. They take all their security decisions without recourse to the Electoral Commission.”

In addition to clarifying security roles, the EC chair underscored the EC's dedication to maintaining transparency throughout the electoral process.

“From the registration to the declaration, our processes are embedded with one key ingredient. And that is transparency, transparency, transparency. As such, we will continue to operate in the spirit of transparency, fairness, and integrity as embedded in our motto,” she affirmed.

She also reassured Parliament that all procedural measures and collaborations are in place to ensure a smooth and credible election process, reinforcing the Commission's commitment to upholding democratic principles.