CDD-Ghana, Partners propose Electoral Reforms.

Some Stakeholders in the Country are proposing some electoral reforms in the 1992 constitution to ensure credible, transparent and peaceful elections before, during and after the December 2024 polls.

The stakeholders said the reforms are also to address the findings of the recommendations that were made during election observation in the 2020 general elections.

The stakeholders are the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) and the Affirmative Action Bill Coalition.

Among the reforms, the stakeholders are proposing to “the electoral commission to establish a clear legal/administrative procedures for handling irregularities by polling and coalition officials during elections”.

They are also proposing to “the judicial service to amend PNDCL 284 to provide a shorter timeline for adjudicating parliamentary election petitions at the high courts and court of appeal”.

They further proposed for “an enactment of an affirmative action law that prescribes at least 30 percent quota for women in governance participation and decision making positions among others”.

These were made known at a zonal dialogue in Tamale on 4th July, 2024, on electoral reforms for some selected stakeholders in the Metropolis organized by CDD-Ghana with funding from the European Union (EU).

The workshop was to build consensus and understanding among key election stakeholders including the CSOs, organized groups and citizens – who by far, are major beneficiaries of election reforms.

Making a submission at the event, the Director of Programs at CDD-Ghana, Frederick Adu Agyemfi said despite efforts made over the years to improve electoral integrity in the country, there are still some challenges with regards to election results management.

He also mentioned the “persistence of chaos over election results due to the none availability of standardized means of correcting mistakes on the results form, the existence of timelines for parliamentary adjudications and the low representation of women in the governance”, as some of the challenges faced in the country’s electoral process.

He said it is against this backdrop that CDD-Ghana and partners initiated these electoral reforms.

The Director of Programs said CDD-Ghana and it’s partners have “engaged the media, judicial service, and parliament on achieving these reforms”.

Frederick Adu Gyemfi said similar workshops are being held in Kumasi and Takoradi to provide platforms for Ghanaians to have an idea of all the proposed reforms, their implications at the local and national levels, adding that it was also to galvanize support to the reforms.

“We hope that the numerous challenges associated with election results management that often result in chaos will be addressed by getting a standardized of correcting anomalies in electoral results. We believe that we will be able to help the country get a shorter timeline for adjudicating parliamentary election petitions at the High Courts and Court of Appeal”, he added.

Speaking on the sidelines of the program, the Executive Director of the Savannah Women Integrated Development Agency (SWIDA Ghana), Hajia Alima Sagito called for more women participation in politics.

She cataloged some challenges hampering women participation in politics.

“The dynamics of politics is becoming very expensive and as it’s becoming expensive economic situation of women is getting worse, so more women are not economically viable and able to occupy positions because the more it becomes expensive, you need more resources but women, moving on several years our situation becomes stagnant instead moving forward. So the passion is increased, the interest is increased, commitment is increased but we need a backup of economic resources “. She said

The Secretary to the Paramount Chief of the Gukpegu traditional area, Tolon Zabugnaa Mohammed Rashard Abdulai, commended CDD-Ghana and its partners for the initiative.

“Let me commend CDD-Ghana for this initiative. We all know election year in Ghana has never been easy and we hope that in future it will be very good for us. So what CDD- Ghana is doing is to know the root causes of all these disturbances during election year, so that they will put it in to a form of writing and then give it to stakeholders to look at it and then see how best they can tailor it to ensure peaceful process of our elections in future.” He said

Other participants included the NCCE, the National Peace Council, traditional rulers, CSOs, the media, some political parties among others.

Story By: Alhassan Imoro |www.diamondfmonline.com |Ghana.