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Ghanaians will vote in the presidential and parliamentary elections to be held on December 7.
The Commonwealth Observer Group (COG), whose members come from various Commonwealth countries with backgrounds ranging from politics, elections, civil society and human rights, as well as legal fields, was invited by the Commission Electoral Ghana to observe the poll.
Former President of the East African Court of Justice, Dr. Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, leads the group of observers. The team started arriving in Accra on December 3 and will be dispatched to polling stations to observe pre-election preparations, voting day and results processes.
The group has already received reports from the electoral commission, political parties, the police and civil society.
In a statement, COG President Dr. Ugirashebuja said: “We recognize the importance of these elections for the people of Ghana and appreciate the challenges they face as the world battles the coronavirus pandemic. These elections are also the first to which the Commonwealth Secretariat has sent a group of observers since the pandemic began. ”
“We are here to observe the electoral process and we will act impartially and independently as we examine your organization and conduct. We will seek to assess the pre-election environment, Election Day activities, and the post-election period.
“We will then see if it has been carried out in accordance with the international and regional standards that Ghana has committed to, including the laws of the country itself.”
The COG will issue a Provisional declaration of its preliminary findings on December 9. A final report will be presented to the Secretary General and subsequently made available to the public.
The members of the Commonwealth Observer Group are:
- President: Dr. Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, former President of the Court of East Africa, Rwanda
- Musa Mwenye, SC, former Attorney General, Zambia
- Baroness Denise Patricia Kingsmill, Member of the House of Lords, United Kingdom
- Marcella Samba-Sesay, President of National Election Watch (new), Sierra Leone
- Hon Martha Karua, Former Minister of Justice of Kenya
Read the full arrival statement from the president
