Collation Centres Accreditation: EC, GJA and GIBA planning ‘workable and acceptable’ solution for media

Collation Centres Accreditation: EC, GJA and GIBA planning ‘workable and acceptable’ solution for media

The Electoral Commission (EC) says it is addressing concerns raised by media partners regarding the allocation of quotas for accreditation to collation centres on December 7.

Many have questioned the rationale for limiting media access, which came to light after an EC memo directing its staff at District and Regional levels to select media houses for accreditation, was made public.

The Commission says in response to feedback from its media partners, it has initiated discussions with the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA).

According to Mr. Samuel Tettey, the Deputy Chairman in charge of Operations, the EC is committed to ensuring transparency in its processes and operations, emphasising the importance of media access to constituency, regional, and national collation centres.

“The Commission is keen on ensuring the highest level of transparency in its operations, hence the opening up of all its Constituency, Regional, and National Collation Centres to the media,” Mr Tettey noted.

However, the EC has highlighted the need to balance transparency with maintaining an orderly and peaceful environment at the collation centres, a consideration underpinning the imposition of quotas on the number of persons allowed to access these centres at any given time.

The EC says the ongoing engagement with GJA and GIBA aims to find a mutually acceptable and practical solution to these concerns.

“As a listening Commission, we are confident that this dialogue with the leadership of GJA and GIBA will lead to outcomes that work for all stakeholders,” Mr Tettey added.

Sources: myjoyonline.com