The Coalition for Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) has charged the Electoral Commission (EC) to make a holistic review in its activities, especially that of its officers, before the 2016 general elections.
The coalition noted that the EC should take a critical look at the few challenges recorded during the just-ended District Level Elections (DLEs) with regard to arrival of polling officials, setting up of polls and the malfunctioning of biometric devices.
This was made known at a press briefing organised by the coalition and held at the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) yesterday.
Co-Chair of CODEO, Prof Miranda Greenstreet also commended the security agencies for their prompt response to issues relating to electoral incidents, but added that security personnel should be deployed to every polling station in the country.
She again added that the consistent low turnout in the DLEs is of great concern to them, saying: �CODEO believes this consistent lack of interest in the DLE has implications for effective grassroots participation and inclusive development.�
She mentioned that CODEO is of the view that the current system of the DLE is not working well and the country does not seem to be reaping the full benefits of the huge resources pumped into the elections.
CODEO deployed about 700 observers, made up of 500 stationary observers and 200 roaming observers, in 86 districts out of the 216 districts.
According to the observers, there were reported cases of malfunctioning biometric devices which led to the suspension of voting for some time in areas like the Saeedia Islamic Primary School polling station in the Sagado electoral area in the Bawku Municipality of the Upper East Region.
Other problems detected by the observers were issues with the voters register, disruption of voting and the counting process, as well as protest and demonstration.
Prof Greenstreet commended the aspirants, especially the youth, women and persons with disability.
She applauded them for conducting themselves in line with the electoral regulations, and acknowledged the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in their operations.
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