The African Electoral Institute (AEI) has called on the Electoral Commission of Ghana to ensure that temporary staff or officials who will be assigned on duties for the 2024 general elections are paid well and on due time to discourage them from accepting bribes.
According to the AEI, EC officials or temporary staff accepting money or any form of gift from the various political parties would affect the free, fair and credible election.
“The African Electoral Institute (AEI) as part of its advocacy for efficient electoral systems which are critical for free, fair and credible elections, wish to appeal to the Electoral Commission of Ghana to ensure that its temporal or contract staff or officials are paid promptly for services rendered to make it unattractive for any of them to accept money or any form of gift from anyone or any source which has the potential or possibility of influencing the way they do their work .” AEI said in a statement signed by Director of Communications and External Relations, Joshua Adjin-Adjin Tettey.
Below is the full statement:
AFRICAN ELECTORAL INSTITUTE APPEALS TO THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION TO PAY ITS TEMPORAL OFFICERS PROMPTLY TO ATTRACT MORE EXPERIENCED AND COMMITTED OFFICIALS*
The African Electoral Institute has gathered and verified that the EC Ghana has not paid any of the exhibition officials who worked for it during the Exhibition Exercise held in August 2024. The African Electoral Institute (AEI) as part of its advocacy for efficient electoral systems which are critical for free, fair and credible elections, wish to appeal to the Electoral Commission of Ghana to ensure that its temporal or contract staff or officials are paid promptly for services rendered to make it unattractive for any of them to accept money or any form of gift from anyone or any source which has the potential or possibility of influencing the way they do their work .
1. African Electoral Institute is of the view that the current system of payment adopted by the Electoral Commission where their temporal or contract staff are paid per electoral exercise is good. However, the delays in effecting payments, which sometimes goes beyond three months or more, makes the contract job unattractive to most people who may be better placed or have the expertise to do the work as expected to offer themselves for the opportunity .
2. In the opinion of the African Electoral Institute, the delay in payment of such staff leaves them financially handicapped and vulnerable and therefore could be manipulated or enticed with money to compromise their work which may lead to misunderstandings that if not handled promptly and professionally, could put the electoral process in jeopardy .
3. The AEI believes that if the contract staff are paid promptly, it will make the work attractive to people with the requisite qualifications and experience to offer themselves for such jobs during any electoral process, for a smooth and successful outcome.
4. That, by making the contract job financially attractive, the Electoral Commission can draw members from professional bodies such as the Ghana Bar Association, Medical Association, teacher associations such as GNAT and NAGRAT, Statisticians, Engineers, Accountants and so on . Such professional individuals coming onboard can help reduce inefficiencies and suspicions during elections.
5. African Electoral Institute, encourages the Electoral Commission to emulate Institutions such as the Ghana Statistical Service and others who promptly pay their field officials using mobile money platforms like Momo and G- Money in this regard
In conclusion, the AEI lauds the Electoral Commission for its resolve to introduce more innovative solutions in its work. AEI encourages them not to relent since the ultimate goal for them is to always organize elections, which outcome will be seen to be free, fair, transparent, accountable, and acceptable by all electoral stakeholders. The Electoral Commission should, therefore, be proactive and innovative in all their dealings in organizing elections in a free, fair, and transparent manner.
-END-
SIGNED
*Joshua Adjin-Adjin Tettey*
*Director of Communications and External Relations*
Source: Elvisanokyenews.com
