EU experts praise Ghana’s 2024 elections

The European Union (EU) Election Expert Mission praised Ghana for its 2024 elections. They described the electoral process as “positive” in their final report.

EU Ambassador to Ghana, Irchad Ramiandrasoa Razaaly, presented the report to Mrs. Jean Adukwei Mensa. This meeting took place on Tuesday evening in Accra.

Ambassador Razaaly noted that the elections were competitive and well-conducted. He said the campaign was generally peaceful and inclusive.

He stated that the election met most regional and international standards. Civil rights, including freedoms of association and speech, were upheld.

Ambassador Razaaly commended Ghana for its democratic progress despite challenges. He highlighted the Electoral Commission's transparency as key to success.

He mentioned that many African peers found Ghana’s election inspiring. He encouraged other countries to learn from Ghana’s example of fair elections.

Ambassador Razaaly also noted that Ghanaians freely express their opinions about the government. He shared experiences from various markets where people voiced their support for democracy.

He acknowledged progress on EU recommendations from 2020 regarding civic education and women's participation.

For improvement, he suggested strengthening identity checks for new registrants. He also recommended reviewing the guarantor system and regulating campaign financing.

Additionally, he urged efforts against misinformation during elections. The EC should improve ballot reconciliation procedures and timely result collation at all levels.

In response, Mrs. Mensa pledged to use the report for Ghanaians' benefit. She emphasized learning from both successes and areas needing improvement.

She agreed that the report accurately reflected current realities in Ghana's elections. Mrs. Mensa reaffirmed the EC’s commitment to improving electoral processes daily.

She stressed enhancing public education before future elections for transparency and fairness. She called for national dialogue on campaign financing legislation and electoral governance improvements.

Mrs. Mensa described her collaboration with the EU Mission as fruitful. She expressed optimism for a stronger partnership in future elections, especially in 2028.