Members of the observer group from the Commonwealth are expected to start arriving in Ghana from Sunday, December 4 to be deployed across the country for Wednesday’s general elections.
The 17-member team will be led by former South Africa President Thabo Mbeki.
An advance team has been in the West African nation since November 16 for the elections, scheduled to be held on Wednesday, December 7.
In its arrival statement, the Commonwealth Observer group said its membership was constituted at the invitation of the Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC).
It said members bring a lot of experience from across the social and political spectrum including human rights and media.
“We are here to observe the electoral process and will act impartially and independently as we scrutinise its organization and conduct.”
It said the environment before, during and after the elections will also come under assessment.
“We will then take a view whether it has been conducted to the international and regional standards to which Ghana has committed itself, including its own laws.”
Among members of the group are Dr Lesley Clark, an Australian gender expert, Shahreen Tilottoma, a Banglaeshi youth expert, Belize’s Chief Election Officer Josephine Tamai, Former Botswana Foreign Minister Pandu Skelemani and Cameroon’s head of elections Samuel Azu’u Fonkam.
The Chairperson, Mr Mbeki, wished Ghanaians well “as they got out on Wednesday to exercise their franchise in the conditions of peace”.
The group is scheduled to leave Accra on December 13, exactly a week after the elections.
Sign up for Ghana Star News to receive daily email alerts of breaking news in Ghana. GhanaStar.com is your source for all Ghana News. Get the latest Ghana news, breaking news, sports, politics, entertainment and more about Ghana, Africa and beyond.
