The Electoral Commission of Ghana is pleading with the media in the country to cooperate with the commission and pay accreditation fees to cover the December 7 presidential and parliamentary elections.
The commission set November 7 2016 as deadline for submission of requests for accreditation to be granted at a fee, citing financial constraints.
Though the commission says it is yet to determine the fee to be paid, it is urging all media houses who would wish to observe the elections to submit the names and details of their personnel to the Commission by close of day Monday, 7th of November 2016.
Accreditation tags according to EC will be given to only those who have formally applied for it and for a fee to be determined by the Commission.
However, the new arrangement by the EC has been described by a section of the public as illegal.
But head of Communications at the commission, Eric Kofi Dzakpasu speaking in an interview said the media is of great value to the EC and putting a price tag on accreditation will be of great help to the media since they will have access without any interference.
“We can’t allow the media to cover elections in this country without any accreditation and so we are pleading with them to consider that and make it happen because it is for their own good,” he stated.
Meanwhile, some journalists are threatening to sue the EC if it insists on taking money from the media before allowing them to cover the upcoming general elections.
President of a group known as the International Standard Journalists Association, Dr. Nana Oppong said they will not pay for the accreditation but would cover the elections.
He said “We will cover the election but we will not pay the money that the EC is demanding and we are going to see what decision the EC is going to take against journalists who intend to cover free and fair and peaceful election in accordance with the Constitution of the country.”
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