Go the extra mile to cross check the facts - EC

By Kwabia Owusu-Mensah GNA
Kumasi, Oct 27, GNA - The Electoral Commission (EC) has asked the media to go the extra mile to cross check and get the facts right in their election reports.

Ms. Georgina Opoku Amankwaa, a Deputy Chairperson of the Commission, said they should not carry wild and unsubstantiated allegations that could create confusion in the minds of the people.

It was important for journalists to demand that politicians provided proof - solid evidence to back claims of bias, they had kept making against the EC.

She made the call at a media interaction organized by the Media Foundation for West Africa in Kumasi.

That provided the platform for journalists in the Ashanti Region to seek clarification of issues bothering on the electoral system and preparations towards the December 07 polls.

Ms. Opoku Amankwaa stated that the Commission had been open and transparent in everything it had done, adding that there had been stakeholder involvement in all major decisions relating to the conduct of the election.

She discounted the allegation by the largest opposition party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) that the EC was conniving with some foreign telecommunication companies to tamper with collation figures in its strongholds during the transmission of election results to favour the ruling party.

A leading member of the party is reported to have said that the EC was conniving with STL and Huawei - both telecommunication companies, to alter election figures during the transmission of results from the NPP stronghold.

Ms. Opoku Amankwaa said it was not true that the Commission had engaged any company to transmit elections results from collation centres in the constituencies to its headquarters.

She underlined the resolve of the election management board to conduct free, fair, transparent and credible polls.

She therefore called on Ghanaians to continue to support and to have confidence in the Commission.

Mr Sule Amadu, Deputy Chairperson in-charge of Operations, said the media was a key partner in ensuring transparency and participation of all in the processes leading to the election.

He gave the assurance that the Commission was on-course despite the numerous legal challenges.

Mr Amadu appealed to the media not to allow politicians to use their platform to create confusion and panic among the people.

Professor Kwame Karikari, a media and communications expert, said it was not acceptable for any media house, no matter the objective of its establishment, to peddle lies and to do anything unethical.

GNA