The Electoral Commission of Ghana has suspended its controversial decision to limit the number of media houses accredited to cover activities at collation centres during the December 7 elections.

Dr. Bossman Asare, the Deputy Commissioner, announced the suspension at the Graphic National Development Series in Accra on Wednesday, following concerns raised by the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) and the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA).

Dr. Asare clarified that the original directive was intended to manage media access and avoid potential chaos at collation centres, not to restrict press freedom. He explained that while some regions could have as many as 400 media houses, the collation centres are often smaller, making large numbers of journalists difficult to accommodate.

“The goal was to ensure orderliness, not to restrict media coverage,” he said, noting that discussions would continue to develop a new policy for media access.

The directive, issued in a memo dated November 25, initially stated that only eight media organisations would be accredited for constituency-level collation activities.

Despite the suspension, Dr. Asare assured that the Electoral Commission would continue to uphold the role of the media in ensuring a transparent and fair election process.

Looking ahead to the election, he also reiterated the Commission’s goal of maintaining or surpassing the 79% voter turnout achieved in 2020. He urged voters to participate in the upcoming elections, highlighting that all registered voters would receive both presidential and parliamentary ballots.

The Deputy Commissioner concluded by emphasizing the Commission’s commitment to ensuring a successful election and encouraging citizens to fulfill their civic duties on Election Day.

Source:TheDotNews