The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) has said the Electoral Commission (EC) can’t order a recount of votes in Ghana’s December 7 polls.
National Coordinator of CODEO, Albert Kofi Arhin, said it will be most unsuitable for the EC to order for a recount of votes in the polls should the results be too close to call.
Mr Arhin told the media in Accra that any such move by the EC would be illegal, stressing that the it does not have the mandate under the C.I 94, law governing this year’s elections.
He said: “This is outside the C.I 94 and that will be illegal. I’m yet to see that practice works in our system. The recount generally comes at the polling station level where a party may protest the results and as a such the need for a recount becomes so crucial”, asking that “Apart from that you cannot say results are too close so I’m ordering for a recount; On what basis?”
The Chairperson of the Commission, Mrs Charllote Osei, last Thursday told the BBC that to avoid the wrong candidate is declared winner of the 2016 presidential election, the EC would do a recount if the results are close.
“Our elections in Ghana tend to be very close. If it is so close, it might be prudent to stop, inform everyone, do a total recount and be sure of what we are announcing finally,” She explained.
But Mr. Arhin said the EC Chairperson’s position on the counting of the results is invalid and not conventional in the Ghanaian electoral system.
He explained that “This year’s election is backed by the C.I 94, and all activities leading to the elections are covered in the C.I and so you cannot ignore the law and be doing some other things that are not prescribed in the laws and regulations governing the elections. Even if there are some disputes arising from the outcome which may likely trigger some chaos, you show evidence but you cannot get up and order for a recount on the basis of closeness of results.”
George Agyemang
