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A Deputy Director of Election in charge of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation at the Electoral Commission (EC), Mr Alexander Poku-Akubia, has urged  media practitioners not to betray the confidence and trust  reposed in them by Ghanaians.

The Deputy Director made the call during a day’s capacity building workshop on election reportage, organized by the EC with support from the European Union for media practitioners in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region.

He said  as major stakeholders in development, Ghanaians placed premium on media messages and so journalists must not toy with very important exercises like the forthcoming general election.

He warned that it was wrong for the media to declare election results and said it was only the EC which had been constitutionally mandated to conduct and declare election results.

He called on the participants to use their platforms to help educate Ghanaians on the rules and regulations of the elections and also sensitise them on the voting procedure. 

Mr Poku-Akubia, took the participants through topics including Election Officials and their duties, Election Monitoring and Observation, Voting and after the Polls, and said election observers played major roles in ensuring successful elections since their presence alone at the polling centres kept the election officials on their toes.

Mr Samuel Adadi Akapule, a Senior Journalist with the Ghana News Agency who delivered a Paper on the topic, “The Importance of Media Reportage on Elections”, entreated the media to give equal access to all political parties to sell their ideas and policies.

He called on media practitioners not to allow themselves to be used as mere propaganda machinery for political parties. He said the most important responsibility of the media was to ensure that elected representatives of the people upheld their oath of office by carrying out the wishes of the electorate.