The Director of Electoral Services at the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr Serebour Quaicoe, has stated that the Commission's aim is to declare the results of the upcoming 2024 presidential election within 72 hours.
Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express, Dr Quaicoe emphasised that the results could be announced earlier however, it would not exceed the third day after the election has been held.
He acknowledged that the timeline is contingent upon collaboration and support from all stakeholders involved in the electoral process.
“As it stands now we are of the view that within 72 hours, the results should be out. And the keyword is within, so it could be declared 24 hours, 48 hours, or 72 hours. But it all depends on collaboration or support,” he said on Tuesday.
Reflecting on the 2020 elections, Dr Quaicoe noted that the EC's commitment to declaring results within 24 hours led to unnecessary requests for recounts and re-collation.
He suggested that some parties may not have wanted the Commission to meet its ambitious timelines, leading to delays and additional processes.
Dr Quaicoe stressed the importance of cooperation among all stakeholders to ensure a smooth and timely declaration of results in the upcoming elections.
He urged all stakeholders to work together to avoid unnecessary delays and disruptions in the electoral process.
The announcement comes as the Electoral Commission gears up for the 2024 elections, with increased emphasis on efficiency and transparency.
The Commission aims to enhance public trust in the electoral process by setting clear expectations regarding the timeline for result declaration.
He further noted that as part of preparation for the upcoming 2024 elections, there has been extensive collaboration between the EC and the police to ensure the smooth conduct of the electoral process.
Dr Quaicoe explained that, by law, the police service is mandated to handle all security activities during elections. However, due to the limited number of police personnel, they often collaborate with other security forces to bolster their efforts.
“We do a lot of engagement with the police, so whenever there is going to be an election, we roll out the election security task force and we hold a lot of meetings to brief them on what EC wants to do."