The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) has called on media organisations to refrain from announcing election results ahead of the Electoral Commission (EC) during the 2024 General Elections.
The National Coordinator of CODEO, Albert Arhin issued the caution in an interview with Citi FM on Tuesday, September 10, where CODEO emphasised the importance of maintaining the credibility and integrity of the electoral process.
Mr Arhin expressed concern that early declarations by media houses could lead to confusion and unrest among the electorate.
While CODEO may have access to preliminary results, Arhin clarified that the organisation does not release them in order to respect official procedures.
He further highlighted the essential role media outlets play in ensuring a fair democratic process but insisted that they must wait for the EC’s official announcement before reporting any results.
Mr Arhin underscored that only the EC has the authority to declare election outcomes, and any breach of this protocol could undermine public confidence in the electoral system.
“It is not necessary. Let the EC come out to declare the results. Let me tell you, CODEO normally gets the results about two days before the EC comes out, but we never tell anybody."
“Through the PVT, we’re able to know who has won the election but we swear and we keep it to ourselves,” Mr Arhin said.
Credit: myjoyonline.com