ECOWAS Okays Polls

Major Yakubu Gowon The ECOWAS Observer Mission for the country's polls has given a pass mark for the exercise describing it as free, peaceful, transparent and credible.

The leader of the mission, a one-time head of state of Nigeria made the declaration during a press conference yesterday during which he attested to the fact that a vast majority of voters were given ample opportunity to exercise their franchise in a transparent, tranquil and orderly manner.

He commended the Electoral Commission (EC) for administering the elections with what he described as competence, fairness and firmness.

Also commended are the government, security agencies and the political parties alongside the people of Ghana for their commitment to the ideals of democracy and for conforming to the provisions of ECOWAS Protocol on democracy and good governance.

The mission took positive note of early voting for categories of persons performing essential duties on Election Day, proxy voting and transfer of voters.

The mission regretted the low number of women contestants in the elections and the prolonged closure of the country's borders.

It added however that the observation at this point captures only the processes up to the endorsement of results at the polling stations on December 28, 2008.

Despite the enormous pressure that was brought to bear on the EC it was able to adequately prepare the grounds for the conduct of the December 28 in an even more efficient and credible manner than it did in the earlier one, the mission noted.

By A.R. Gomda