Jean Mensa reacts to EU’s report that the 2020 polls were free and fair

Chair of the Electoral Commission (EC) Mrs Jean Mensa has reacted to a report by the European Union that the 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections in Ghana were free and fair.

In a tweet, she shared news stories that quoted the EU report saying “Jean Mensa-led EC’s ‘efficiently organized’, ‘free’ 2020 polls met int’l standards – EU Observer Mission”

The European Union’s Election Observation Mission (EOM) has said in its final report on the 2020 general elections that the counting process was assessed positively and it was conducted in a largely transparent manner and always in the presence of party agents who in all cases received signed copies of the result forms.

However, the report said, in more than half of the polling stations observed, result forms were not publicly displayed.

“Voting was conducted in a generally peaceful atmosphere and voting procedures were mostly followed, including the biometric verification of voters. EU EOM observers reported several irregularities, such as voters not always marking their ballot in secrecy, mainly due to the poor layout of polling stations, and biometric verification devices not always able to successfully verify the voters.

“Party agents from both NPP and NDC were present in all but one polling station visited. The overall conduct of voting was assessed positively in 95 percent of the 329 polling stations observed. The EC deployed COVID-19 “ambassadors” to polling stations to enforce health protocols.

“The counting process was assessed positively and it was conducted in a largely transparent manner and always in the presence of party agents who in all cases received signed copies of the result forms. However, in more than half of the polling stations observed, result forms were not publicly displayed.

“Furthermore, presiding officers appeared to have difficulties completing the result forms. Collation of results at the constituency level was observed in 35 constituency collation centers with many of them being visited repeatedly.

“The collation process was less well organized and less transparent often due to a lack of detailed procedures, inadequate facilities, and overcrowding which at times led to agents and observers not having a clear view of the process and the filling in of result forms.

“Instances of unrest and tension were observed in Asawase, Sunyani West, and Techiman South constituencies. The results were collated in the presence of party agents and observers and key transparency measures were adhered to.”