Dr Afari-Gyan calls for premium on transparency and professionalism in elections in Africa
Dr. Afari-Gyan, Chairman of the Electoral Commission, has called on electoral commissions in Africa to continue the search for greater transparency, accountability and verifiability in the conduct of elections.
He sated that the field of election administration in Africa was littered with challenges from both within and outside the continent.
Dr. Afari-Gyan made the call in a communiqué issued by the Africa Media and Democracy (AMDMC) at the just ended AMDMC conference in Accra.
He noted that “practically everywhere in Africa, electoral commissions face challenges in trying to achieve credible elections”.
Dr. Afari-Gyan said that steps had been taken towards ensuring transparent and credible elections, which were yielding fruits.
“Increasingly, African election administrators are introducing built-in checks and safeguards, rigorous audit trails, tracking, particularly of sensitive elections materials, and opportunities for stakeholders scrutiny of election activities as elements of systems integrity”, he added.
Dr. Afari-Gyan mentioned that measures including exhibition of the provisional voter register, which offers the electoral commission an opportunity to fine tune the register towards making it inclusive, up to date and accurate in the personnel data.
He said other key factors, which should be considered in the quest to conduct credible and transparent elections in Africa, included good relationship between political parties and electoral commissions, sufficient funding and prompt release of funds, electoral education, and use of relevant technology.
Others were sound legal framework, dispute resolution and enforcement of electoral laws which would make people knowledgeable about the process, procedure and technicalities that would enable them participant in electoral events.
Dr. Afari-Gyan reiterated the need for election officials to be firm and applying the electoral laws, rules and regulations in such a uniform manner that nobody received preferential treatment.
Mr. Barima Adu- Asamoa, Director of AMDMC, said the interface between the media and democratic process must be critically examined for the realization of sustainable good governance in a democratic dispensation in Africa.
“All Stakeholders involved in the democratization process have to responsibility to perform diligently and uphold democratic values for the good of the citizenry” he added.
He stated that whilst Africa had undergone traumatic experience over the years on all indexes on human development she was still expect to demonstrate her ability to uphold democratic values.
Source: GNA