By: Rachel Kakraba
The Ghana Journalists Association, GJA, is set to hold its national and regional elections today. The more than 800 members in good standing will elect executives to lead the Association for the next three years. As the exercise gets underway, the GJA Election Committee has issued a comprehensive set of guidelines to ensure a smooth, transparent, and credible electoral process.
A statement which was signed by Chairman of the Election Committee, Peter Agbeko, said the polls will open at all polling centres throughout the country at exactly 8 am and close at 3pm to pave the way for sorting and counting. In Greater Accra, polling stations are the Ghana News Agency, Graphic Communications Group and the New Times Corporation. The rest are the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, Ghana International Press Centre, Accra and GBC Obonu FM, Tema.
In the Volta Region voting will take place at Ho-GJA Press Centre, Central Region, Cape Coast Graphic Office, Western Region: Takoradi, Press Centre, Bono Region: Sunyani – Regional Electoral Commission Office and Northern Region: Tamale, GBC Offices.
The rest are Upper West, Wa, GJA Office, Upper East: Bolga, Electoral Commission’s Municipal Office, Ashanti Region: Kumasi, Regional Electoral Commission Office, Bono East: Techiman, Electoral Commission Office and Eastern Region – Electoral Commission Regional Office.
The statement said mode of identification for voting will be strictly by the Ghana Card, Voters I.D. Card and National Passport that bears the photograph and name of the Journalist. It said ballots will be counted and results announced at each voting centre strictly after 3:00 pm.
Regional Executive Election Results will be declared at the Regional Voting Centre and results communicated through designated platforms.
The National Executive Elections Results from the various voting centres would be collated at the Press Centre, Accra, and final results declared there.
The GJA Election Committee said it is an offence to vote or attempt to vote more than once for a particular position, buy or sell votes, compel somebody to vote in a particular way and obstruct a delegate from freely exercising his or her right to vote. It is also an offence to display marked ballot paper in such a way as to make it known to others the candidate voted for as well as take a photo of how one voted in any particular way.
The GJA Election Committee is confident that with strict adherence to the outlined guidelines, the Association will witness a peaceful and credible election. It is calling on all candidates and members to demonstrate professionalism, respect the electoral process, and place the interest of the Association above personal ambition.
Meanwhile, the GJA Elections Committee has asked the public to disregard a fake voters’ list on social media ahead of the National and Regional Elections scheduled for tomorrow.
The Committee, in a statement urges all members to ignore mischievous fabrication and rely solely on the official voters’ register, which has been duly signed by both the GJA General Secretary and Treasurer. It encourages members in doubt to visit the official GJA website or contact the Elections Committee directly for verification.
Meanwhile, the Committee has served notice that the Ghana Police Service will be on standby across all voting centres to ensure a smooth exercise. It said any individual or group that attempts to cause confusion will be promptly escorted out of the premises.
The statement advises all voters to comport themselves responsibly to avoid any embarrassing incidents, thereby ensuring the polls are peaceful and credible.
