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The Institute of Charted Accountants Ghana (ICAG) has said its members are willing to offer their services to the Electoral Commission in the collation of election results come November 7, 2016.

The Institute says this will ultimately help in improving on the credibility of election results.

Speaking at the induction ceremony of 320 Accountants in Accra, President of the Institute Professor Omane Antwi, urged the Electoral commission to use known professionals during the elections to avoid disagreements.

“As professional accountants, it will be our civic responsibility and duty to collate election figures, and thereby provide added assurance during the declaration of results. If called upon by the Electoral Commission, please let us assist, for we have only one country Ghana,” he added. 

This follows an announcement made by the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Charlotte Osei, that the Commission had received assurances from chartered accountants in the country to help make the polls credible.

During a recent media interview, Charlotte Osei said “the Chartered accountants have written to us and they are willing to do voluntary work…and we think that we will need them at the collation centers.”

Election strong room abolished?

The Electoral Commission had earlier announced that this year’s election will be held in November instead of the usual December schedule.

It also served notice it will abolish the strong room, where election results are collated, and adopt a rather more transparent process.

The strong room is a designated “special room” at the EC’s Headquarters in Accra for the collation of provisional results, which are then certified by the Commission before final declaration.

Some political parties and the civil society groups have argued that the strong room system should be abolished since results could be tampered with because only a few selected people are allowed into that room.