Electoral Commission passes major test

Tuesday’s district level election was a test for the Electoral Commission (EC) which many observers said it passed the complexities nonetheless.

A countrywide survey by DAILY GUIDE reporters showed that the commission was successful in the general conduct of the polls which, because it was two-pronged (District Assembly and Unit Committee membership), was not simple.

The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) also gave a generally favourable initial assessment of the district polls although it noticed a few cases of delay in arrival of logistics.

The most outstanding feature of the exercise was the fact that results did not suffer the release in tots mode humorously referred to as ‘tot tot’.

The countrywide polling stations totalling about 30,000 did not record any incidents, as security personnel were at hand to respond to matters when they arose.

The peaceful nature of the polls, DAILY GUIDE gathered, could be attributed to the earlier setting up of an EC/police security taskforce which succeeded in obviating security challenges.

Both parties, EC and police, had easy access to each other, an impetus which went a long way to ensure the triumph chalked up.

The EC, according to sources, developed what it called “13,000 plates” as part of its collation segment strategy and the running of events.

Only five areas experienced a few challenges, DAILY GUIDE reporters observed and reported.

Timing and arrival of materials did not suffer relative hitches to warrant the raising of tempers, it was noticed.

In the Ekumfi area in the Central Region, the police asked the EC not to turn up on Tuesday because of a security challenge at the location.

DAILY GUIDE gathered that the youth in the area were said to be burning tyres to express their anger and frustration about what in their view is the lack of development in the area and it was subsequently postponed to a new date.

Unlike the presidential and parliamentary elections, the district level polls have a Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development component in the area of organization and planning.

The EC, DAILY GUIDE has gathered, is responsible for the updating of the Constitutional Instruments (CIs) in the electoral areas, voter register, exhibition and nomination.

Tuesday’s district level elections were a litmus test for the new leadership of the EC who are yet to organize presidential and parliamentary polls.

The commission chalked up an earlier success when it conducted a referendum for the creation of six new regions.

The changing of the guards at the elections management body had many wondering whether it could handle the referendum but it did without hitches. Read Full Story