A two-day capacity building workshop organised by the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) for journalists on election reforms has been held in Tema.
They were schooled to advocate electoral reforms on election results management, parliamentary elections petition, adjudication and affirmative action.
Funded by the European Union (EU) in collaboration with the Coalition of Domestic Observers (CODEO), and the Affirmative Action Bill Coalition, the workshop formed part of a project aimed at promoting the implementation of electoral reforms to enhance the credibility, transparency and peacefulness of the 2024 general elections
The National Coordinator, Coalition of Domestic Observers (CODEO), Mr Albert Ahin, indicated that the rational of the gathering was to solicit the support from the media in the reforms that CODEO and CDD-Ghana were embarking on to help eliminate certain mistakes made in the past after elections.
The engagement, according to Mr Ahin was very crucial due the role practitioners played in the sensitization of the public on issues of national development.
The Senior Program Officer, Human Right and Social Inclusion, Mr Michael Augustus Akagbor, CDD-Ghana, said that elections were human right events and it was fundamental right for every citizens to be well-educated on how to discharge those right effectively.
Mr Akagbor tasked journalists to look beyond monitoring and observing the electoral process and focus their attention on the violations done to citizens during the election process.
The Convener of the Affirmative Action Bill Coalition, Mrs Sheila Minkah-Premo, noted that the bill which was before Parliament aims to promote a progressive and active participation of women in public life from a minimum of 30 per cent to 50 per cent by 2030.
Mrs Minkah-Premo stressed on the need to achieve gender parity in leadership and decision -making in our society.
Mr Kojo Pumpuni Asante, the Director of Programs and Policy Engagement at CDD-Ghana, indicated that the PNDCL 284 must be amended to provide for a shorter timeline for adjudicating Parliamentary election cases at the High Court and at the Court of Appeal, for such cases to be heard within a maximum of 67 days and a minimum of 47 days after the election results had been declared.
A private legal practitioner, Mr Samson Ayenini, tasked media practitioners to be well-abreast with the Constitutional Instruments (CI) on elections to enable them to report adequately, accurately and effectively.
Mr Ayenini stressed on the need for all journalists to know the legal framework in election to help them in their reportage.
The Executive Secretary of the National Media Commission (NMC), Mr George Sarpong, a legal practitioner implored journalists to contact peace-builders in all election- related matters after listening to all sides connected to the subject matter before breaking the news.
Mr Sarpong said this, would ensure that possible grievances and other misunderstanding that might arise between those involve after the publication were ironed out and mended peacefully.
BY VICTOR A. BUXTON
