COALITION of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) on Sunday says 4, 200 observers will be deployed for the Ghana Presidential and Parliamentary election, scheduled to start on Monday, December 7.
Arimaywo Shaibu, CODEO Acting Chairman disclosed this during media and stakeholders briefing held at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Center (KAIPTC), Accra, Ghana.
The briefing normally holds on evening to the general election at every election year.
Shaibu who spoke on behalf of the different groups at the briefing said observers had undergone immense training on voters’ education, peace campaign, adherence to Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) protocol and other electoral processes for proper monitoring of the 33,367 poll stations.
The observers, he said, would be deployed to each of the 275 constituencies from which each lawmaker from their respective constituents would get elected from the entire 16 regions of the country.
Aside from monitoring both polls, the observers are also expected to report voting activities and compile election results which would be used to benchmark final results declared by the Ghana Electoral Commission.
1,502 from the total observers are deployed as Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) observers.
“We are aware that elections provide the opportunities for citizens to democratically select their representatives to govern and manage the affairs of the society on their behalf,” Shaibu said.
“It is therefore imperative that this democratic right of exercising one’s franchise is conducted in a manner that the processes and outcomes are generally deemed credible and acceptable.”
The Ghana election is the eight in series of presidential polls held in the country since fourth republic commenced in 1992.
Major candidates contesting in the poll among the 27 political parties include John Mahama, the former president. He is contesting under the National Democratic Party (NDC) while the incumbent President, Nana Akufo-Addo is seeking re-election under the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
CODEO’s mandate is to support the Ghana electoral commission to ensure the country realise a free, fair and credible poll.
However, Shaibu, urged all contesting political leaders and their supporters to ensure peace reigns during the poll.
He urged the ad hoc staffs and electoral officials to remain objective. The security agencies were charged to conduct themselves professionally while the media was charged on proper reportage of the poll.