IDEG-CFI Launches Elections Situation Room to Enhance Electoral Monitoring.

Accra: The Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG), in collaboration with the Civic Forum Initiative (CFI), has launched the National Elections Situation Room to monitor the December 7 polls. The Elections Situation Room (ESR) will act as a central hub for collecting, collating, and processing data, as well as coordinating election activities and personnel. Additionally, it will function as an observatory for monitoring electoral activities, coordinating observers, and disseminating information to educate the public, aiming to mobilize citizen participation in managing electoral processes.According to Ghana News Agency, the project is sponsored by the European Union and the Norwegian Government. It will operate for a minimum of 12 hours daily and extend to 24 hours during the election period, from voting day to the final declaration of results. Rev. Dr. Fred Deegbe, Co-Chair of the CFI-CODEO Advisory Board, who formally launched the platform, commended various domestic observers for deploying personnel a cross the country to monitor the upcoming election. He emphasized that while foreign observers are important for monitoring and reporting on the country's elections, the domestic observation by Ghanaians holds greater significance.Dr. Emmanuel Akwetey, Executive Director of IDEG, expressed concerns about the proliferation of situation rooms, which he said posed a challenge to the integrity and acceptability of electoral outcomes and the general peace and security of the country. He called for a regulatory framework to guide the operations of situation rooms set up by Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and security agencies to ensure compliance with rules and maintain credibility. Dr. Akwetey also urged CSOs with situation rooms to collaborate to enhance their specialized areas and competencies to ensure peaceful and credible elections.Professor Kwesi Jonah, Head of Advocacy and Institutional Relations, highlighted that civil society organizations have traditionally played various roles in the electoral pr ocess, including civic and voter education and observational voting. These roles have expanded to include the coordinated observation of polling stations on election day, collaboration with electoral bodies to maintain the credibility of elections, information sharing, and monitoring of electoral issues for media organizations, as well as engagement and coordination with security services to ensure peace and security before, during, and after elections. However, he noted concerns that uncoordinated civil society activities present challenges to both the integrity and acceptability of electoral outcomes and the country's overall peace and security.