The Coalition of
Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) has called on Ghanaians to exercise
patience and allow the Electoral Commission (EC) to fulfil its constitutional
mandate of officially declaring the results of the December 7 general
elections.
The appeal was
made in response to rising tensions and the National Democratic Congress' (NDC)
demands for increased transparency in the process.
In a preliminary
post-election briefing on Sunday, 8 December, CODEO underscored the importance
of adhering to constitutional processes and assured the public of the
credibility of the EC’s management of the polls.
According to
CODEO, its findings from a representative sample of 1,500 polling stations
across the country affirmed the transparency of the elections.
The coalition
reported that 99% of political party agents and all presiding officers signed
the parliamentary results declaration forms, reinforcing confidence in the
integrity of the process.
CODEO commended
the EC’s organization of the election, particularly the setup of polling
stations and the counting of ballots, describing these aspects as generally
credible.
The organization
highlighted that its Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) system would provide
impartial verification of the EC’s official results once they were declared.
In its briefing,
CODEO expressed appreciation to all stakeholders, including the EC, the security
services, the media, political parties, and the general public, for their
peaceful participation in the electoral process.
CODEO also
acknowledged the early concession by the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP)
presidential candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, as a positive demonstration of
statesmanship.
“The PVT has
already collected data from the 1,500 polling stations sampled nationwide,
ensuring a reliable check on the final results. However, CODEO will only
release its PVT estimate after the EC announces the official results,” the
coalition stated, urging all Ghanaians to remain calm and uphold the nation’s
democratic values.
Take Voters' Compass