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A former Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, has urged Ghana to build trust in its national institutions.

That, he said, was essential for the consolidation of democracy, peace, and stability in the country.

“The role played by key national institutions in Ghana during the electoral process has been recognized by many, so we need to build trust in them,” Dr Chambas stated at the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers' (CODEO) High-Level Stakeholders Review Workshop on the 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections of Ghana, underway at Ada in the Greater Accra Region.

Workshop

CODEO is organizing the engagement to bring together relevant election stakeholders, including state institutions, civil society organizations, media practitioners, political parties, and development partners, to deliberate on critical issues relating to electoral integrity in Ghana.

The workshop also seeks to take stock of valuable lessons from the conduct of the 2020 elections, drive the agenda towards electoral reforms and enhance future elections.

Addressing gaps

Dr Chambas said all actors, including civil society organisations (CSOs), must work closely with the Electoral Commission (EC), the National Peace Council (NPC), the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), the Police and the Judiciary to address gaps and enhance elections management in the country.

Dr Chambas, who acknowledged the invaluable roles of CSOs, particularly CODEO in the democratic process in Ghana either through the promotion of peaceful, transparent and credible elections or contributing to conflict prevention and resolution process, also urged them to continue with the good work.

He said the contribution of CODEO and its partners in the December 7, 2020 elections was instrumental to the successful conduct and conclusion of the process.

Democratic values

Dr Chambas said the commitment to democratic values remained strong in the country.

“The fact that electoral disputes were settled with the utmost respect for the rule of law is indicative of the high level of political maturity and understanding of the tenets of democracy.

CODEO

The acting Chairperson of CODEO, Sheikh Armiyawo Shaibu, said CODEO deemed it appropriate for a holistic assessment to be carried out on the entire electoral processes to identify what worked well, what did not work well, the gaps and challenges as well as the opportunities for improving on the conduct of future elections.