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The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) Ghana has stated that the state-owned Daily Graphic provided equitable electoral coverage to the two main political parties during the December 7 general elections.
The EU EOM which has been present in Ghana since November 1, 2020, following an invitation from the Government and the Electoral Commission said the Daily Graphic produced by the Graphic Communications Group Limited allocated 29.9 per cent and 26.5 per cent of space to governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) respectively during electoral coverage.
The Mission led by Chief Observer, Javier Nart, a Member of the European Parliament (Spain) added that the state-owned Uniiq FM allocated 34.2 and 28.6 per cent of its airtime to NPP and NDC respectively.
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The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) has noted that the misuse of state resources and unregulated campaign financing has resulted in an unlevel playing field in Ghana’s electoral process.
The EU in a preliminary statement on Ghana s December 7 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections also mentioned that the polls were organised in an efficient and transparent manner, and voters participated freely. The elections were competitive, and contestants could campaign without hindrance. A few isolated violent incidents occurred, and numerous stakeholders expressed deep apprehensions about the possible use of vigilante groups by political parties, the statement said. Unregulated political finance, misuse of state resources and numerous instances of vote-buying resulted in an unlevel playing field. Ghana’s vibrant and diverse media sector provided voters with sufficient information on both major competing parties and their candidates .
In a statement by the mission, they said the elections was conducted in an efficient and transparent manner. The EU Observer Mission said Ghana’s Constitution, combined with the Political Parties Law, sets up the legal framework for party financing but there was inadequate political finance regulations and poor oversight by the Electoral Commission which undermines the transparency and accountability of the electoral process. The observers also stated that many candidates depend on personal funding, largely drawn from their own pockets which has resulted in the monetisation of politics in the country. Parties and candidates are not eligible to direct government funding. However, there is no law expressly prohibiting the use of public funds or resources by government officials for party or campaign activities, the statement said.