CODEO

GHANA’S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION RUNOFF HELD ON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2008 CODEO POLLING DAY OBSERVATION: SITUATIONAL STATEMENT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Accra, Ghana, 28 December 2008

 

 

GHANA’S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION RUNOFF HELD ON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2008

CODEO POLLING DAY OBSERVATION: SITUATIONAL STATEMENT

  

 

INTRODUCTION

The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) deployed approximately 4,000 non-partisan domestic observers across the country on polling day. These observers include over 1,000 Rapid Response Observers (RROs) stationed at a nationally representative randomly sampled polling stations in all the 230 constituencies. This situational statement focuses on the setting up and opening of polling stations and is based on reports CODEO has received from RROs, Regular Observers (ROs), Regional Coordinators and Constituency Supervisors as of 1:00pm today.

 

By 7am, nearly all of our RROs had reported at their assigned polling stations in all the 230 constituencies. CODEO observers reported that the polling officials largely adhered to the Electoral Commission’s (EC) regulation that they be present at their polling stations by 6:00am. In over eight in every ten polling stations, EC polling officials were present at polling stations by 6:00am. These officials also permitted CODEO observers to observe the set up and polling.

 

SETTING UP AND OPENING OF POLLING STATIONS

·        Nearly all polling stations observed by our observers had polling agents representing the two contesting parties, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the run-off.

 

·        Almost all CODEO observers reported that all election materials were present at the time of setup. In more than nine out of ten of all polling stations observed, there were no reports of missing or shortage of election materials. Reports from our observers indicated that at the vast majority of polling stations there were sufficient numbers of presidential ballot papers (more than registered voters). However, there were reports of minor incidents relating to the setup and opening of polls.

 

·        CODEO observers reported that the vast majority of polling stations had uniformed security present. It is only in the Northern region that visible presence of uniformed security personnel stationed at polling stations was low (3 out of 10) as compared to other regions.  CODEO also noted the presence of mobile security forces and their promptness in responding to reported cases of incidents.

 

·        Nearly all polling stations observed were set up so voters could mark their ballots in secret.  Ballot boxes were shown to be empty, sealed and shown to the public to demonstrate transparency in almost all the polling stations.

 

·        Generally, polling stations at set up were accessible to persons with disability and the elderly.

 

·        CODEO observers reported that polling stations were opened on time, generally. In eight (8) out of ten (10) cases, polling stations opened at 7am or thereabout. This was an improvement on December 7 where a third of all polling stations opened later than the official start time. In the few cases where polling station opened late, the Upper East and Volta regions were the most affected (3 out of 10 polling stations opened late).

 

From the foregoing, CODEO notes that in general arrangements put in place by the EC for setup and opening of polls went well in most polling stations. Nonetheless, there are disturbing incidents that had been reported by our observers. In most of these cases, CODEO has contacted EC’s officials and security agencies with the aim of getting solution to these problems.

 

INCIDENTS AND IRREGULARITIES

As noted earlier, most of the incidents reported by our observers occurred at the setup. There were 34 cases of missing election materials such as ballot boxes, ballot paper, voters’ register, indelible ink, voting screen, validating stamp, endorsing ink and ink pad. Most of these cases were reported from Eastern, Brong Ahafo, Ashanti, Upper East and Volta. However, most of these problems had been resolved at the time of release of this statement.

 

Other incidents reported by our observers included the following:

 

·        A total of 24 cases of disorder at polling stations in Eastern, Ashanti, Central, and Greater Accra regions;

 

·        12 cases of intimidation and harassment particularly in Ashanti, Brong Ahafo and Eastern regions;

 

·        14 cases of violence mainly in Ashanti, Eastern, Brong Ahafo and Central regions;

 

·        6 cases of violation of voting procedures largely in Ashanti and Northern regions;

 

·        A few cases of polling officials were suspected to be partisan; disenfranchising of eligible voters; allowing ineligible voters to vote; suspension of voting, and snatching and stuffing of ballot boxes.

 

For instance, suspension of polls had been reported in some parts of Brong Ahafo (Tain constituency), Central (Methodist Church/Town Saltpond polling station in the Mfantseman West constituency, CPB Amantsiaa Abaasa polling station in the Ajumako/Enyan/Esiam constituency ) and Eastern regions (L A JSS Anyankode Awukugua polling station in the Okere constituency). An observer also reported suspension of polls at Oblogo in Weija constituency in the Greater Accra region. As reported in our December 7 press statement, voters in Temp Booth Chalator polling station in Kpandai constituency in the Northern region once again refused to vote.

 

CONCLUSION

The coalition is continuing to receive reports from its network of observers deployed in polling stations across the 230 constituencies. We are crosschecking these reports.

 

The coalition however is concerned with the rising number of incidents in the run-off compared to the December 7 election. CODEO calls on the appropriate institutions to quickly address these situations before they get out of hand.

 

The coalition appeals to the leadership and the members of the two political parties to desist from spreading unconfirmed rumours.  We also appeal strongly to the media to refrain from reporting unconfirmed incidents which are likely to raise unnecessary tension and anxiety amongst the general public.

 

CODEO finally appeals to all Ghanaians to remain calm and be law abiding throughout the voting period and after.

 

  

Signed:

Professor Miranda Greenstreet and Justice VCRAC Crabbe,

Joint Chairpersons

(For and on Behalf of the Advisory Board)

CODEO Secretariat, Sunday, December 28 2008, 3:30pm

 

For more information, please contact any of the following telephone numbers: 0243387094; 0244692301; 0243661350; 0244665065

 

Uncategorized CODEO, CODEO Statement., Ghana election 2008, run off, Second round, voting

PRESS STATEMENT DELIVERED AT THE KOFI ANNAN INTERNATIONAL PEACEKEEPING TRAINING CENTER ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27TH 2008

 

INTRODUCTION

Our friends in the Media,

Representatives of the Diplomatic/Donor Missions

Representatives of International Observer Groups

Members of Local Civil Society Organizations

Representatives of political parties,

Ladies and Gentlemen..,

On behalf of the Advisory Board of the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO), I welcome you to this important press conference ahead of tomorrow’s presidential runoff election. As we all know, no clear winner emerged from the presidential election held on December 7 2008, necessitating a runoff between the two leading candidates - Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Professor John Evans Atta Mills of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). The Electoral Commission (EC) has scheduled the runoff for tomorrow, Sunday, December 28 2008. We have invited you, Ladies and Gentlemen, to brief you and the nation on CODEO’s preparations toward observing the Presidential runoff.

PRESIDENTIAL RUNOFF  

CODEO recognizes the importance of this runoff in Ghana’s democratic process. We have also taken note of the high stakes in this election for the contending political parties, their supporters and the entire nation. We are convinced that, just like the December 7 2008 polls, the run-off election must be seen to be fully transparent, free, fair and violence free to ensure that its outcome is credible and acceptable to all parties. In the year 2000, when the situation called for a runoff, CODEO observed the presidential run-off and thereby contributed to the integrity of the process.

CODEO OBSERVATION PLANS

Ladies and Gentlemen, on December 7 2008, CODEO, which comprises thirty-four (34) professional and religious bodies as well as other civil society organizations, including the Christian Council of Ghana, the Federation of Muslim Councils, the Ghana Bar Association, the Ghana National Association of Teachers, the Civil Servants Association, the National Union of Ghana Students and the Ghana Federation of the Disabled, deployed more than 4000 trained and  accredited non-partisan domestic election observers throughout the country. Among the 4000 observers were over 1000 Rapid Response Observers (RROs) who were deployed to a nationally representative sample of polling stations in all the 230 constituencies. These RROs reported on key indicators such as the quality of the polls and poll results via text message throughout the polling period.  CODEO is proud to have been part of the successful December 7 elections which were adjudged by us and others, including the political parties, international observers and other stakeholders to have been generally transparent, free and fair. .

Going into the run-off, CODEO has made preparations to deploy, again, close to 4000 local observers in all the 230 constituencies. In preparation for this exercise CODEO has organized debriefing sessions for all its observers, including the RROs as well as its Regional Coordinators and Constituency Supervisors. The insights and lessons gathered from the debriefing sessions will help strengthen our observation of the second round polls. CODEO observers will be deployed at polling stations and will observe the set-up, voting and counting procedures and also report on incidents throughout the day. Observers will also be posted at constituency collating centers in all the 230 constituencies as well as in what has become known as the ‘Strong Room’ at the EC Headquarters in Accra. CODEO observers will, again, wear white T-shirts with CODEO Election 2008 boldly printed at the back.  They may also be identified by their CODEO caps and CODEO embossed bags. They will report at the polling stations at 6:00am and stay until the end of official declaration of the ballot count at the polling stations and constituency collating centers.

PARALLEL VOTE TABULATION (PVT)

Ladies and Gentlemen, CODEO will again employ the Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) methodology in its observation of the run-off with over 1000 RROs deployed to a nationally representative random sample of polling stations. The PVT technique will enable CODEO to undertake a quick scientific assessment of the conduct of voting, counting and tabulation process around the country. It will also enable CODEO to verify the accuracy of the official results.

CODEO reported in its press conference on December 10 2008 that the estimates from the PVT were consistent with the official presidential results announced by the Electoral Commission. Also, the ranking of the presidential candidates in terms of the percentage of votes they obtained in that election was the same between the PVT data and the official results. The percentage of the vote received by each candidate was also consistent between the PVT data and the official results (See Table 1 below as captured in the press statement on December 10 2008)

 

Table 1. PVT Estimates and Official Results (in order of percent vote as of December 10, 2008)
Candidate	Party	PVT Estimate	PVT Margin of Error	Official EC Results
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo	NPP	49.8	±1.6	49.1
Prof. John Evans Atta Mills	NDC	47.4	±1.6	47.9
Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom	CPP	1.3	±0.1	1.3
Dr. Edward Nasigrie Mahama	PNC	0.8	±0.2	0.9
Emmanuel Ansah-Antwi	DFP	0.3	±0.0	0.3
Kwesi Amoafo-Yeboah	Independent	0.2	±0.1	0.2
Kwamena Adjei	RDP	0.1	±0.0	0.1
Thomas Ward Brew	DPP	0.1	±0.0	0.1
Note: PVT estimate range was based on a 95% confidence level

Based on our experience from the December 7 polls, CODEO is very confident that its PVT methodology of observation is credible and will enhance transparency in the tallying of the votes in the presidential run-off polls. Within 24 hours after close of polls, CODEO is likely to be in a position to ascertain which of the candidates stands to gain the highest percentage of votes in the run-off presidential election. CODEO will issue its statement on the PVT results accordingly.  

REPORTING

From the Observation Center at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Center (KAIPTC), CODEO will share information about any irregularities and disruptions with the relevant authorities.

CODEO will make regular statements to the press about the conduct of the election.

At 2: 00 PM on December 28, 2008, CODEO will release a press statement on the general conduct of the polls.

Additional press statements will be released    on the day of voting as and when appropriate. The Coalition will issue a preliminary statement on the overall conduct of the election at 3:00pm on Monday, December 29, 2008.

 SPECIAL VOTING

Special Voting for the presidential run-off elections took place on 23^rd December, 2008. By most accounts, the process was generally orderly and peaceful. However, there were reports of unexpectedly high turnout and some procedural problems at some polling stations. CODEO observers have confirmed the increase in turnout and some disturbances in the special voting process. The Coalition calls on the EC to ensure that the concerns raised about the special voting exercise are addressed immediately to the satisfaction of all stakeholders.

 CONCLUSION

CODEO makes a special appeal to the leadership of the NPP and the NDC and their supporters to do all in their power to help maintain the peace in our country. They should exercise maximum restraint during and after the election. Acts of intimidation, harassment and violence must be avoided at all cost.

While CODEO commends the security services for generally comporting themselves during and after the December 7 elections, we urge them to continue to be professional, impartial and resolute in protecting the ballot process and in maintaining the peace.

CODEO appeals to the EC, polling officials, returning and presiding officers to continue to conduct themselves professionally during this presidential run-off as they did on December 7 2008. We hope that the EC took note of some of the lapses in the administration of the December 7th elections. Such lapses included the late start of voting at some polling stations, absence or shortage of election materials at the start of voting, inadequate arrangements for the transportation of election materials to some isolated polling stations, and the lack of uniformity in the application of electoral regulations by some polling officials. CODEO is convinced that the conduct of EC officials on Election Day will largely determine the extent to which all stakeholders will perceive the process to have been free and fair and its outcome credible. The Coalition is confident that the EC has taken steps to address these problems. We also hope that the EC will continue to cooperate with our observers to enhance the integrity of the process.

 

The Coalition of Domestic Observers urges all Ghanaians to take full ownership of this runoff by participating fully in it and maintaining maximum vigilance over it. We remind voters to conduct themselves properly on Election Day. On its part, CODEO will do its best to ensure that the December 28 2008 presidential runoff is free, fair and transparent.   

On behalf of the Advisory Board of CODEO, we wish to express gratitude and appreciation for the enthusiasm and dedication shown by the large number of Ghanaians who have volunteered as CODEO observers. We urge you to play your individual roles in an impartial, nonpartisan and independent manner so that CODEO is able to meet its primary objective of promoting free, fair, transparent and peaceful elections and thus lend legitimacy and credibility to the 2008 electoral outcome.

Finally, CODEO expresses gratitude and appreciation to United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for its generous support; the National Democratic Institute (NDI) of the US for its technical assistance on the PVT, and to the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Center for, once again, collaborating with us in this project.

May God Bless Ghana

 

Thank you. 

Signed:

Professor Miranda Greenstreet and Justice VCRAC Crabbe,

Joint Chairpersons

(For and on Behalf of the CODEO Advisory Board)

December 27, 2008

 

Uncategorized CODEO, CODEO Statement., NDC voting, NPP voting, Press Release, reports, run off, Second round, Voting in Ghana

CODEO TO DEPLOY APPROXIMATELY 4,000 OBSERVERS AND CONDUCT PVT FOR PRESIDENTIAL RUNOFF ELECTION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT

Theodore Dzeble

CODEO Public Affairs Coordinator

+233 (0)244215736

press@codeogh.org

 

Accra, Ghana, 27 December 2008

 

 

CODEO to Deploy Approximately 4,000 Observers and Conduct PVT for Presidential Runoff Election

 

 

The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) will deploy approximately 4,000 observers and conduct a parallel vote tabulation (PVT) for the presidential runoff election on Sunday December 28, 2008.

 

The runoff election will be between Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Professor John Evans Atta Mills of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as no clear winner emerged from the presidential election held on December 7, 2008.

 

CODEO observers will be present in all 230 constituencies and will include over 1,000 rapid response observers (RROs) deployed to a representative random sample of polling stations who will send in reports throughout election day via text messages (SMS) using mobile phones.

 

CODEO Co-Chair Professor Miranda Greenstreet stated “The deployment of thousands of non-partisan local observers to polling stations will help ensure all Ghanaians are able to exercise their right to vote and give confidence to the public and political contestants that the elections were conducted properly.”

 

CODEO will again conduct a PVT for the presidential runoff election. This is an advanced monitoring methodology that will enable CODEO to verify the accuracy of the official results as announced by the Electoral Commission. For the presidential elections of December 7, 2008 the PVT estimates closely match the official results confirming the need for a runoff election.

 

“The PVT help ensure that the official results accurately reflect how Ghanaians voted on election day. CODEO calls on all eligible Ghanaians to go out and vote.” stated CODEO Co-Chair Professor Miranda Greenstreet.

 

CODEO is comprised of 34 civil society professional and religious bodies. It was formed in May 2000 by the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) with the sole purpose of recruiting, training and deploying local observers for general elections in Ghana.

 

More information and the complete text of the December 27, 2008 CODEO pre runoff election press statement are available at http://codeogh.org.

Press Advisory CODEO, CODEO Statement., election 2008, Ghana election 2008, PVT, run off, runoff

CODEO’S STATEMENT ON THE OFFICIAL 2008 PRESIDENTIAL RESULTS

As part of its overall effort to observe the 2008 elections, the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) conducted a Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) to help objectively and scientifically verify the accuracy of the result of the presidential election and to ensure that the official results announced by the Electoral Commission truly reflect the will of the Ghanaian people. The PVT is an advanced methodology used to monitor elections. It has been used successfully around the world to promote electoral integrity and help defend the rights of citizens to vote. The first PVT was conducted in the Philippines in 1986. In Africa, the PVT methodology has been successfully used in Madagascar, Malawi, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

 

Full Statement

Press Release Add new tag, Africa Politic, CODEO, CODEO Statement., election, election observers, election statement, Ghana, Ghana Politics

CODEO Presents Preliminary Findings on 2008 Election

CODEO released its preliminary findings of its observation of the 2008 Elections. These findings reflect the reports filed by 99% of CODEO’s 1070 Rapid Response observers, as well as observation reports and incidents filed by over 3000 Regular Observers, Constituency Supervisors and Regional Coordinators.

CODEO is in a position to conclude that, in spite of the difficulties encountered in the pre-election period and on election day (including the minor voting irregularities), the conduct of the 2008 elections up to the end of voting and counting of votes has generally been peaceful, free, fair and transparent…

Download the Statement

For more information contact:

Theodore Dzeble
CODEO Public Affairs Coordinator
+233 (0)244215736
press@codeogh.org

Accra, Ghana, 8 December 2008

Press Release 2008, CODEO, election, Ghana, preliminary findings

CODEO, Election 2008 Ghana: End Of Day Situational Statement

Ghana’s Presidential and Parliamentary Elections held on Sunday, December 7 2008 CODEO Polling Day Observation: Situational (End of Voting) Report Released on Sunday, December 7 2008 at 9:00pm.

Full Statement

 

Press Release 2008, Add new tag, CODEO, Ghana, Situational

CODEO, Election 2008 Ghana: Mid-Day Situational Statement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT
Theodore Dzeble
CODEO Public Affairs Coordinator
+233 (0)244215736
press@codeogh.org

Accra, Ghana, 7 December 2008

CODEO Polling Day Observation: Situational (Mid-Day) Report

The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) had deployed approximately 4,000 non-partisan local observers throughout the country. This mid-day situational report is based on reports CODEO had received from Rapid Response Reporters located at nearly 1,000 polling stations in all of Ghana’s 230 constituencies. These observers are deployed  to a representative random sample of polling stations across the country.

At the time of set up (opening), reports from observers suggest relatively few problems at the polling stations.

Nearly all polling stations were set up so that voters could mark their ballots in secret; were accessible to persons with disabilities and the elderly; and ballot boxes were shown to be empty, sealed and placed in public view.

At the time of set-up, some polling stations lacked uniformed security personnel.  One in ten polling stations nationally reported no uniformed security personnel during set-up.

NDC and NPP had polling agents at nearly every polling station at the time of open. CPP had polling agents at approximately half of the polling stations. All the other presidential candidates were able to field polling agents at some polling stations.

Seventeen rapid response observers reported initially being denied access to polling stations despite being accredited. However, ultimately all rapid response observers were permitted to observe.

A vast majority of polling stations reported having all of the materials.

Nearly a third of polling stations reported opening late. This problem was more prevalent in Upper East region.

While the elections appear to have been generally peaceful so far, reports have been received from a few polling stations at which there was violence or disturbances. CODEO has informed both the Electoral Commission and the Police of these incidents.

CODEO is continuing to receive reports from its network of nationally deployed observers and will continue to release updated reports.

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Press Release 2008, CODEO, election, Ghana, mid-day

CODEO Will Verify Accuracy of Official Election Results: Deploys Largest Number of Observers for 2008 Ghana Elections

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT
Theodore Dzeble
CODEO Public Affairs Coordinator
+233 (0)244215736
press@codeogh.org

Accra, Ghana, 6 December 2008

CODEO WILL VERIFY ACCURACY OF OFFICIAL PRESIDENTIAL RESULTS: DEPLOYS LARGEST NUMBER OF OBSERVERS FOR 2008 GHANA ELECTIONS

The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) will verify the accuracy of the official results of the 2008 presidential election. Using a methodology called Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT), CODEO will independently collect official vote counts from a representative random sample of more than 1,000 polling stations located in all Ghana’s 230 constituencies.

Taking advantage of the latest technology, CODEO observers will send their reports using coded text messages directly to a database.

Overall, 4,000 non-partisan, highly-trained CODEO observers will be deployed across Ghana on election day.

This will be by far the largest observation effort for the 2008 Ghana election

Parallel Voting Tabulation is a recognized methodology for verifying election results, and is used around the world to promote greater electoral integrity.  It is the first time that Parallel Vote Tabulation has been used in Ghana.

Professor Miranda Greenstreet, CODEO Co-Chair, states, “The independent verification by non-partisan CODEO observers will give political contestants and the public greater confidence that the official results of this highly contested presidential election accurately reflect the will of the Ghanaian people.”

In Kenya, the absence of a PVT and the resulting lack of credible independent information about the presidential results contributed to the post election violence.

CODEO has observed all aspects of the pre-election period and has issued regular reports on the electoral process, including voter registration, the party primaries, incidences of voter intimidation and violence, and the conduct of the campaign.

“CODEO is confident that the pre-election period laid the ground for peaceful and credible elections. Thousands of committed non-partisan CODEO observers will further encourage voters to go to the polls in large numbers to exercise their right to vote.” says Professor Greenstreet.

CODEO calls on all political parties and their supporters to respect the peace and the electoral process.

CODEO is comprised of 34 civil society professional and religious organizations. It was formed in May 2000 by the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) with the sole purpose of recruiting, training and deploying local observers for general elections in Ghana.

CODEO has observed the 2000 general election, the 2000 presidential run-off election, the 2004 general elections as well as numerous by-elections.  More information is available at http://codeogh.org.

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Press Release CODEO, election observers, Ghana, Press Release

CODEO Presents Election Day Observation Activities and Opens Observation Center

On Saturday, 6 December 2008, the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO), Ghana’s premier election monitoring network, will present its observation plan and will unveil a state-of-the-art Observation Center for the December 7th General Elections at the Kofi Annan International Peace Keeping Training Center. CODEO will also provide an overview of its  pre-election monitoring  to stakeholders.

The event provides an excellent opportunity for the media, civil society groups, diplomatic missions, observer missions, donor partners etc to receive answers to elections-related questions.

Where? Kofi Annan International Peace Keeping Training Center, near the Military Academy, Teshie Nungua. Directions to the Kofo Annan Center are here.

When? Saturday, December 6, 10:30 am

Background: CODEO is a federation of thirty-four independent and non-partisan civil society organizations united to safeguard the rights of Ghanaian citizens by promoting free, fair, transparent and peaceful elections. CODEO has observed every election in Ghana since 2000 and is the largest  election observation coalition in Ghana. For the 2008 General Election, CODEO has already monitored the registration exercise, exhibition of the voters’ register, political party primaries and campaigns,  civic education and peace initiatives that were undertaken by the National Commission for Civic Education  (NCCE ) and civil society actors.

Contact:

Theodore Dzeble
CODEO Public Affairs Coordinator
+233 (0)244215736
press@codeogh.org

Press Advisory