The Electoral Commission (EC) has responded to growing concerns from media partners regarding its directive that limits media access to constituency and regional collation centres for the 2024 general elections.
The directive, which restricts the number of media outlets allowed at collation centres, has generated significant feedback from media stakeholders. In a memo, the EC instructed its staff at district and regional levels to allocate specific quotas for media accreditation at these centres.
Under the new guidelines, only eight media outlets will be permitted at each constituency collation centre, while 12 media outlets will be allowed at the regional collation centres. While the EC states that the quotas are designed to maintain orderliness, the move has raised questions about transparency and inclusivity in the electoral process.
In response to these concerns, the EC announced on Wednesday, November 27, that it is in discussions with the leadership of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) to address the issues raised. The Commission reassured stakeholders that it is committed to finding a workable solution that balances transparency with the need for order at the collation centres.
“As a listening Commission, we are engaging with the leadership of the GJA and GIBA, and we trust that we will arrive at an arrangement that is both effective and acceptable,” the EC stated.
The Commission reiterated its commitment to ensuring the highest level of transparency in the collation process, emphasizing that media access will be granted at all constituency, regional, and national collation centres. However, it stressed the importance of limiting the number of individuals present at these centres to maintain a peaceful and orderly process during the collation of results.
“The Commission is keen on ensuring the highest level of transparency in its operations, which is why we are opening all our Constituency, Regional, and National Collation Centres to the media,” the EC added. “However, we are mindful of the need to ensure an orderly process, which is why we have implemented quotas for media access at these centres.”
The EC expressed confidence that ongoing discussions with the GJA and GIBA would lead to a mutually agreeable solution, allowing media partners to perform their duties while ensuring the integrity and efficiency of the collation process.