EC Outlines Guidelines For Election 2012

The Electoral Commission (EC) on Tuesday outlined the Election 2012 guide for candidates and their agents to serve as pro-active electoral educational material and inject confidence and safeguard the December Presidential and Parliamentary polls.

The Election 2012 educational guide captured in a 21-page booklet captioned; "A Guide to Candidates And Their Agents," is a repackage of Constitutional Instruments relating to elections and the Political Parties Act 574 and sections of Act 451.

Part one contains information on requirements for a Presidential and a Parliamentary candidate as well as other pertinent pieces of information for candidates; part two deals with the importance of polling agents and the “dos and don’ts,” of a good agent.

Part three gives general information about elections modalities for appointing polling and collation agents. Launching the booklet; Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, EC Chairman, said it contained salient things about the electoral process that would aid the candidates and their polling agents to contribute effectively towards the delivery of free, fair and transparent elections.

He said: "Being a candidate is an honour, but also a challenge and hopefully an expression of your willingness to serve our people and advance our democracy.”

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Dr Afari-Gyan, urged the aspirants to play it fair with other candidates and with the people of Ghana. "The manner in which you conduct your campaign will, no doubt, have a bearing on whether or not the elections take place in a peaceful and orderly atmosphere."

On the role of Polling Agents, the EC Chairman said being a polling agent was a position of trust, not only for the candidate or party that appointed the person but also for the credibility of the elections. "If you play your watchdog role well at the polling station, you will contribute immensely to the acceptability of the election results," he said.

Dr Afari-Gyan pledged the commitment of the Commission to uphold fair and transparent conduct of the elections but however said”it is mindful that achieving free and fair elections is a collective responsibility of all stakeholders".

Mrs. Augustina Akosua Akumanyi, Deputy Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) who chaired the launch, appealed to all democratic stakeholders to play by the rules.

She urged the EC, Political Parties, Media, Civic Educators, and the security agencies to collaborate to ensure that the nation maintained its unity throughout the election and beyond.

The launch which was attended by representatives of political parties, media practitioners, civil society organisations and a cross-section of the public, was organised by KAB Governance Consult and funded by UKAid.