We do not determine the outcome of the elections – EC | Elections

The Electoral Commission has assured the public that it does not have the power to determine the winner of the 2024 elections.

The Chairperson of the Commission, Mrs. Jean Mensa, made this assurance at a Let The Citizen Know press conference on Friday, September 20, during which the Commission officially announced the list of presidential candidates who qualified for the 2024 presidential election, as well as those who were disqualified after the nomination process.

The commission announced that 13 candidates successfully passed the qualification for the 2024 elections, while 10 candidates either did not meet the nomination requirements or did not correct errors brought to their attention by the commission. One candidate withdrew his nomination after submitting his nomination papers.

In his speech at the press conference, the President of the European Commission stated:

“As arbitrators, our job is to arrange and organize orderly, fair, transparent, peaceful and credible elections. We assure you that we are working on exactly that. We do not have the power to determine who will win the elections. It is not in our power to determine the outcome of the election. That power lies with the good people of our beloved country. The citizens and only the citizens can determine who will conduct them – not the Election Commission.”

The European Commission also underlined the Commission’s readiness to work with stakeholders to ensure peaceful, transparent, free and fair elections in December 2024.

“As we approach December 7, we call on all of you, distinguished citizens, to work with us to strengthen and maintain the integrity of our systems and the Commission as a whole. Our doors remain open. We assure our stakeholders that we are open to constructive feedback and advice. Indeed, the feedback and advice from well-meaning Ghanaians has helped enrich our work and enabled us to serve you better.

We call on all candidates to run a decent election campaign – one based on policies and programs that lead to the betterment of our society. As arbitrators, our job is to arrange and organize orderly, fair, transparent, peaceful and credible elections. We assure you that we are working on exactly that. We do not have the power to determine who wins the elections.

It is not in our hands to determine the outcome of the election. That power lies with the good people of our beloved country. The citizens and only the citizens can decide who should lead them – not the Election Commission.

It is the candidate whom the people give the power to lead this country who will be appointed President of the Republic of Ghana by the Electoral Commission on December 7, 2024. Fortunately, the Electoral Commission has institutionalized a fair, open, transparent and accountable process for announcing the results.”