Ensuring Electoral Justice: Access to Information Vital in Ghana’s Electoral Process.

Accra: Dr. Kojo Asante, Director of Advocacy and Policy at CDD-Ghana, has emphasized the critical role of information access in securing electoral justice. Speaking at the Public Forum on the Africa Commission Guidelines on Access to Information and Elections, Dr. Asante highlighted the necessity for citizens to have information at every stage of the electoral process to ensure fair and transparent elections.According to Ghana News Agency, Dr. Asante argued that access to information empowers citizens to understand electoral laws, verify voter registers, and monitor election-day processes, thereby preventing unjust disenfranchisement. The forum, organized by the Parliamentary Network Africa (PNAfrica) in collaboration with the Coalition on the Right to Information, Ghana (RTI Coalition), aimed to evaluate Ghana's adherence to regional treaties and standards on electoral transparency.The event also explored systems to integrate access to information throughout Ghana's electoral process. Participants analyz ed election-related information that should be proactively shared with the public, in accordance with the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR) Guidelines and the Right to Information Act, 2019.Dr. Asante stressed the importance of scrutinizing campaign finance reports and holding election bodies accountable. He praised the RTI Commission's efforts in establishing a fees regime for accessing information and called for collective efforts from fact checkers and regulators to combat misinformation.Dr. Serebour Quaicoe, Director of Electoral Services at the Electoral Commission (EC), acknowledged challenges in disclosing certain information but highlighted the availability of resources on the EC's website. He urged the media to verify information before publication and encouraged citizens to actively seek electoral information.Madam Mina Mensah, Director of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, Africa Office, and Mr. Samuel Obeng, Executive Director of PNAfrica, both emphasized the nee d for proactive information disclosure to promote electoral justice. They underscored the ACHPR Guidelines' assertion that timely and accurate disclosure of electoral information can reduce tensions and distrust in the electoral process.