EC addresses media concerns over limited access to collation centres during the 2024 elections – Rainbow Radio Online

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The Electoral Commission (EC) has reacted to the concerns raised over its decision to limit the number of media outlets allowed access to the various collation centres across the country in the upcoming elections.

The directive by the EC has been widely condemned.

The EC had instructed its staff at district and regional levels to allocate quotas to media houses for accreditation at collation centres.

Per the directive, only eight media outlets would be allowed access at each constituency collation centre and 12 at the regional collation centres.�

The EC claimed that this was to ensure orderliness, which has raised questions about transparency and inclusivity.

But the directive has been widely condemned, with several bodies and CSOs asking the EC to respond.

Reacting to these concerns, the EC revealed that it was engaging with the leadership of the Ghana Journalists Association and Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) to address the concerns.�

According to the EC, it remains committed to reaching a workable and acceptable arrangement that balances transparency with order at the collation centres.

“As a listening commission, we are engaging with the leadership of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) on the issue and trust that we will arrive at an arrangement that is both workable and acceptable.”

“The Commission is keen on ensuring the highest level of transparency in its operations, hence the opening up of all its constituency, regional, and national collation centres to the media. Tourism packages

“In doing so, the Commission is mindful of the need to ensure an orderly and peaceful process at all the Collation Centres, hence the quotas on the number of persons who can access the Collation Centres at any given time.”