Wa. Nov
11,
Ghanadot/GNA
– An
official
of the
Electoral
Commission
(EC),
has
refuted
allegations
by
leaders
and
supporters
of some
political
parties
that the
body was
planning
to rig
Election
2008.
Mr.
Ebenezer
Aggrey-Fynn,
EC
Commissioner
in
charge
of the
Upper
West
Region,
urged
Ghanaians
to
assist
in
building
a good
reputation
for the
EC and
the
country
instead
of doing
things
that
could
result
in
destroying
the
electoral
process.
He was
speaking
on
“Rationale
for
training
and
inbuilt
integrity
of
Ghana’s
electoral
process”,
at a
forum to
sensitize
media
practitioners
on
electoral
laws and
procedures
to help
them to
report
accurately
on the
polls,
in Wa on
Sunday.
The
event
was
organised
by the
EC and
sponsored
by the
Netherlands
Institute
for
Multiparty
Democracy.
Mr.
Aggrey-Fynn
said “
The
allegation
that a
director
at the
EC was
conniving
with a
political
party to
rig this
year’s
elections
should
not be
taken
seriously
because
counting
of
ballot
papers
are done
at the
polling
stations
and
results
are also
declared
at the
polling
stations”.
He said
some
media
practitioners
assumed
that
what
they
disseminated
could
not be
challenged
while
the
public
out of
ignorance
accepted
whatever
they
said as
the
truth.
Mr.
Aggrey-Fynn
said
that the
power of
the
media
could
not be
underestimated
and any
wrong
reportage
by
journalists
could
result
in
serious
trouble
for the
country.
He
cautioned
that
“Let us
study
the laws
on the
electoral
process,
understand
the
electoral
system
and
report
only the
truth.
We must
be fair
to all
and
above
all our
reports
must be
of
goodwill
and
beneficial
to the
people”.
Mr.
Amadu
Sulley,
a
Director
at the
EC, who
spoke
on:
“Procedures
on
polling
day and
roles of
critical
stakeholders”,
urged
the
media to
provide
accurate
reportage
to
enable
the
electorate
to make
informed
choices
on 7
December.
He
appealed
to
political
parties
contesting
the
polls to
recruit
knowledgeable
persons
as
agents
to
ensure
that the
right
procedures
were
observed
at
polling
stations
to
ensure
peaceful
elections.
Mr.
Sulley
announced
that the
EC had
set
aside 2
December
for
persons
who
would be
carrying
out
electoral
duties
outside
their
constituencies
on 7
December,
to cast
their
votes.
He said
that
ballot
boxes
for the
special
voting
would be
kept at
the
police
armoury.
Mr.
Sulley
appealed
to
affected
persons
to apply
to the
EC not
later
than 14
days to
the
elections,
warning
that
voting
“by
certificates
had been
abolished.”
Mr.
Yahaya
Mahama,
Upper
West
Regional
Director
of the
EC,
called
on all
stakeholders
in the
electoral
process
to play
their
roles
effectively
since
the EC
alone
could
not
ensure
free,
fair and
peaceful
elections.
GNA
