2020 elections the deadliest election on record in the 4th Republic – Co-Chair of CODEO Advisory Board
The Co-chair of the Advisory Board of the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO), Mrs. Elizabeth Villars has described the 2020 general elections as the deadliest in the country in the history of the Fourth Republic.
She shared this view on Thursday, October 17, during the launch of CODEO’s Election Day and Post-Election Action Plan ahead of the 2024 polls.
In her address, she said although Ghana has held successive general elections, the gains made over the years by the Electoral Commission (EC) were undone as a result of the violence that marred the 2016 and 2020 elections.
She said ahead of this year’s election, all stakeholders must work together to ensure a credible and peaceful process.
“Since 1992, Ghana has held eight successive elections, which have been largely peaceful and credible, a feat still uncommon in many countries on the African continent. Ghana’s highly competitive multiparty elections have produced three electoral turnovers. Over the period, incremental electoral reforms, especially after the 2012 election have ensured improvements in the overall administration of the electoral process, particularly during the voting process on polling day for both the 2016 and 2020 elections. However, challenges still remain and threaten credible and peaceful elections in 2024.
“In the 2016 and 2020 elections, the hard work of the EC was undone by some challenges including a chaotic results collation, transmission and announcement process at Constituency Centers. In some of these cases which turned violent, lives were lost, making the 2020 general elections the deadliest election on record in the 4th Republic,” Mrs. Elizabeth Villars bemoaned.
As a body interested in promoting peaceful elections in the country, CODEO has stressed that it is committed to this course and will do its part by collaborating with other actors including the EC to see this through.
At the launch of its Election Day and Post-Election Action Plan, CODEO announced that 4,000 observers will be deployed across the country on December 7 to report on everything that happens.
“December 7 remains a crucial day in our nation's political calendar as the country goes to the polls. We at CODEO are making the necessary preparations and all that we can to support our country’s political processes. Towards this end, we have planned to deploy 4,000 polling stationary observers on election day, December 7.
“These observers will observe the conduct of the polls- from the opening to voting, counting and declaration of results at selected polling stations. Thus, 4,000 observers will assist in gathering information about the conduct of the polls, and to help make independent assessments of the processes and outcomes,” Mrs. Elizabeth Villars said.
A significant component of CODEO's observation efforts is the Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT).
The PVT will serve as a powerful citizens’ tool for monitoring the conduct of polling on Election Day and verifying the official presidential results announced by Election Management Bodies (EMBs).