EC clears journalists with accreditation to access constituency, regional collation centres

 Journalists is­sued with the Electoral Commission photo accreditation cards can access the Constituency and Regional Collation Centres this Saturday, for the December 7 presidential and parliamentary election, the EC has announced.

“Following internal discus­sions and consultations with key media personalities, the Electoral Commission (EC) is pleased to announce to the media and the General Public that media persons assigned photo accreditation to cover Polling Stations will be able to use the same accreditation to cover Constituency and Regional Collation Centres,” a statement issued by the electoral body said in Accra.

The statement signed by the Di­rector for Electoral Services, Ben­jamin Bano-Bioh, said the com­mission was desirous to maintain the highest level of transparency and accountability in its operations hence the revised media accredi­tation aims to provide media per­sonnel with greater flexibility and access to key Election Centres.

The commitment, the statement noted was to ensure that the media can effectively cover the electoral process, and “this change reflects that commitment.”

Concluding, the EC said ar­rangements for media access to the National Collation Centre will be announced in due course.

The Ghana Journalists Associa­tion (GJA) it is recalled, expressed concerns over the Electoral Com­mission’s (EC) decision to restrict media access to the collation cen­tres in the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections.

Speaking at a press conference in Accra, the GJA President, Al­bert Kwabena Dwumfour empha­sised the importance of media access in ensuring transparency and accountability in the electoral process.

The EC’s decision to restrict media access to the collation cen­tres at the constituency, regional, and national levels has been met with widespread criticism from the media fraternity.

The GJA and the Ghana Inde­pendent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) have condemned the de­cision, arguing that it undermines the principles of transparency and accountability.

Mr Dwumfour revealed that the GJA and GIBA have engaged with the EC to discuss the matter, and a proposal is being worked on to address the concerns of the media.

He emphasised that the media plays a critical role in promoting democracy and good governance, and any attempt to restrict their ac­cess to information would be detri­mental to the electoral process.

Furthermore, the GJA ex­pressed concerns over the police initiative to provide liaison officers for media houses, citing potential interference with the work of the media and the risk of leaking information from media houses.

 BY TIMES REPORTER

The post EC clears journalists with accreditation to access constituency, regional collation centres appeared first on Ghanaian Times.

Read Full Story