Ghana’s ‘Credible’, ‘Transparent’ 2020 Polls ‘Reflected Will Of The People’ – US Report

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The U.S. Department of State’s 2021 Annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released on 12 April 2022 has said Ghana’s 2020 presidential and parliamentary election results reflected the will of the people.

“Domestic and international observers assessed the December 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections to be transparent, inclusive, credible, and reflecting the will of the people”, the report noted.

However, it said: “Some observers noted concerns regarding the misuse of incumbency, the lack of enforcement of regulations on campaign financing, and unequal access to state-owned media during the campaign”.

It said the authorities, media, and observers reported, at least, two killings by security forces; at least, two deaths from civilian violence; as many as eight deaths in total, and several injuries in the Greater Accra, Bono East, and Northern Regions.

In separate lawsuits in August, six residents of the Techiman South constituency who suffered injuries, and a father whose son died, sued the Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General, demanding $2.5 million dollars as compensation for security force violence during the 2020 elections.

The six residents claimed they suffered physical injuries including gunshot wounds while they monitored the vote tabulation at the Techiman collation centre.

The suits also demanded an official investigation into security force killings and support for affected families.

In March, two members of parliament from the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate election-related deaths caused by members of the National Election Security Taskforce (NESTF), police, and the Ghana Armed Forces teams that provided security for the elections.

The flagbearer of the NDC, Mr John Mahama, a former president, also petitioned the country’s Supreme Court over the sanctity of the results.

The court upheld the second-term victory of President Nana Akufo-Addo, the incumbent.

By: class fm