Politicians should desist from undermining Dec 7 poll conclusion – ECOWAS, UN

Political actors and their followers must not engage in any activities that would comprise the December 7 elections as the country awaits the final results from the Electoral Commission (EC), ECOWAS, African Union and UNOWAS has said.

The Heads of ECOWAS and African Union Election Observation Missions and the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel and Head of UNOWAS also urged political leaders, especially the two major parties, the NPP and NDC, to preserve the peace in the country on the back of the signing of the Peace Pact on 4 December 2020.

“We appeal to political parties and their followers to refrain from any conduct that may undermine the successful conclusion of the electoral process,” a joint statement by the teams, copied to theghanareport.com said on Tuesday, December 8.

Polls have closed in the country and the populace is waiting for the final declaration of the official results from the EC.

The election management body had hoped to announce the outcome 24 hours after elections but that has been impossible with an extension to 48 hours.

Regional results of the presidential and parliamentary elections are being released on the official website of the EC but the slow process has attracted fury from some members of the public.

The joint observer missions urged all political stakeholders and the citizenry “to exercise patience and remain calm”.

The team commended Ghanaians for completing the election with few skirmishes bolstering “Ghana’s enviable track record of organising peaceful and successful elections since the return to multiparty democracy in 1992”.

They also called on state institutions to continue to carry out their responsibilities with professionalism and transparency.

“We reaffirm our solidarity with the people of the Republic of Ghana in their quest to consolidate their democracy,” the release added.

There are 12 presidential aspirants with more than 1000 parliamentary candidates.

The twelve include the flagbearer of the NPP – Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, Presidential Candidate of the NDC – John Dramani Mahama, Brigitte Akosua Dzogbenuku – flagbearer of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Hassan Ayariga of the All People’s Congress (APC), Ivor Kobina Greenstreet of the Convention People’s Party  (CPP), David Asibi Ayindenaba Apasera of the People’s National Convention (PNC), among others.

Five of the 17 nominees who submitted their nomination forms with the hope of contesting in the polls were disqualified by the EC.

The five included two independent presidential nominees – Kofi Koranteng and Marricke Kofi Gane, and three political party-sponsored nominees; Akwasi Addae Odike of the United Progressive Party (UPP), Kwasi Busumbru of the People’s Action Party (PAP), and Nana Agyenim Boateng of the United Front Party (UFP).

A total of 17,027,971 voters were expected to cast their ballot in 38,622 polling stations across the 16 regions of the country.