CARE Ghana, a civil society organization advocating for free and fair elections, has condemned the Electoral Commission’s (EC) decision to reject election results from the Abokobi Women Development Center 2 polling station.
According to CARE Ghana, the EC’s reason for rejecting the results – that they were recorded on training sheets – is “untenable”.
The organization pointed out that the results were documented by EC officials, not by political parties or candidates.
“This raises critical questions about the role of political parties in this error. What role did political parties play in the use of incorrect sheets?” CARE Ghana asked in a statement signed by its Executive Director, David Kumi Addo.
The organization emphasized that political parties had no part in selecting or preparing the materials used at polling stations, and therefore, the EC must take full responsibility for the error.
After failing in its duty to ensure proper training and oversight of its officers, it is unacceptable for the EC to penalize innocent parties for their incompetence, CARE Ghana stated.
The decision to invalidate correct and accurate election results due to the use of wrong sheets is “highly flawed,” the organization added.
CARE Ghana firmly believes that the EC’s officers, as representatives of the Commission, are solely responsible for ensuring compliance with procedural requirements.
“Writing on the wrong sheets should not invalidate the accuracy or credibility of the elections or election results.”
The organization has called on the EC to reconsider its decision and accept the results from the polling station.
“The Commission must find ways to fix its internal issues without penalizing political parties and candidates who had no involvement in the mistakes made.”
CARE Ghana urged the EC to act in the spirit of fairness, transparency, and accountability, ensuring that innocent parties are not unjustly punished for the Commission’s errors.
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