EC assures electorate of free, fair elections

The Electoral Commission (EC) has reassured the electorate in the Birim Central Municipality of the Eastern Region, of its commitment to conduct another free, fair and transparent elections in the upcoming December presidential and parliamentary elections.

The EC further reiterated the need to conduct the election in a manner that would ensure sustainable peace and stability in the country.

Mr. John Appiah Baffou, Municipal Electoral Officer, gave the assurance at the 10th session of the Pre-Election Security and Advisory Committee, held at the office of the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Ben Atadana at Akim Oda on Friday.

Mr. Baffou stated that the EC would continue to put in place strategic measures to ensure that the current peace through the efforts of the present and past governments prevailing in the country would be sustained and not jeopardised before, during and after the 2008 general election and subsequent ones.

According to him, through the support of parents and guardians, 1,930 minor names were recently cleaned from the voter's register, while over 200 names were detected as double registration, adding that the EC had retrieved the voter's identification cards from them.

The Electoral Officer pointed out that all interested groupings like Members of Parliament, the Press and the Security Agencies who wish to be visiting the polling centres during the election day needed to acquire accreditation from the EC, without which such groupings or individuals would not be allowed to do so.

ACP Atadana, who is also the chairman of the committee, stated that the only guarantee for peace and stability in the country during the 2008 elections was when all electorate in the municipality became responsible for ensuring free, fair and transparent elections and for the EC to act in a more responsible manner by being the sole agents to declare electoral results.

Source: GNA