EC accredits 4,500 journalists to access collation centres

The Electoral Commission (EC) has agreed to print some 4,500 accreditation cards for journalists to access constituency and regional collation centres on Election Day.

The Commission said the distribution of the accreditation cards to media outlets for coverage at the collation centres would be solely done by the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GiBA).

Addressing a press conference in Accra on Friday evening, Mrs. Jean Mensa, Chairperson, EC, said the Commission had already printed more than 6,000 accreditation cards for journalists to a access all polling stations across the country.

She said the Commission was unable to grant access to all journalists to the collation centres due to the limited space at the constituency and regional collation centres.

Due to the constraints, she said access to the Collation centres would be done on “first come first serve basis” to avoid congestion.

“Allowing all journalists access to the constituency and regional collation centres would be difficult and chaotic because of the limited space,” she said.

Some media practitioners had raised concerns about the EC’s decision to select media houses for accreditation to its collation centres on election day.

The GJA criticised the EC’s directive, saying it would undermine access to information and fuel misinformation and disinformation.

The EC earlier clarified that it was engaging with the GJA and GiBA to find “workable and acceptable” arrangement.

Mrs. Mensa said the memo that was sent to its officers regarding the selection of media houses was intended to ensure adequate coverage at the collation centres.

“The EC has no intention to restrict media coverage at collation centres,” she said, adding: “We wanted to ensure that in the minimum, there would be coverage at every collation centre”

Source: GNA

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