GJA petitions EC to include media practitioners in the early voting

The Ghana Journalists Association has petitioned the Electoral Commission to ease the law which exempts the media from the early voting process this year.

The Constitutional Instrument (CI) 72 debars media practitioners from voting early before the date scheduled for election 2012.

The Electoral Commission (EC) announced that the usual early voting process for the media during an electioneering year has been rescinded in line with CI 72.

This voting pattern allowed media practitioners, security agencies, staff of the Electoral Commission, political party heads and other organizations to vote days before the election date.

Principal Public Relations Officer of the Commission, Sylvia Annor indicated on Wednesday that there will be no early voting for the media this election year.

She explained that “…The new law being used, CI 72 indicates that anybody who wants to take part in the early voting, you must work with the electoral commission or security personnel who will be busy on the Election Day. Even that you have to write an application to the EC 42 days before elections…”

She advised journalists to vote early to avoid long queues in order not to disrupt their activities and coverage of the elections come December 7.

 “We have no choice than to abide by what the law says and so what can be done is for the media to strategize and plan in such a way that they can wake up early and vote on December 7th to avoid any long queues. Once you know you will be covering the election and you are not part of the early voters then it’s a matter of strategizing…” she said.

 But the GJA says this will create a deficiency in the coverage of the elections and therefore implored the EC to reconsider their decision in order to ensure credibility in the elections.

According to the GJA General Secretary, Bright Blewu, the inclusion of the journalists in the early voting exercise will help prevent voters from tampering with electoral results.

 He argued that the EC decision will compel majority of the journalists to vote in their vicinities before attending to their assignment. He added that GJA will hold discussions with the Chairman of the Commission, Dr. Kwadwo Afari Gyan, to revise the EC decision.

Source: ADU GYAMFI AMEYAW