US embassy cable - 04ACCRA1993

C O N F I D E N T I A L  ACCRA 001993 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/06/2014 
TAGS: GH, PGOV 
SUBJECT: GHANA'S ELECTORAL COMMISSION CONFIDENT ABOUT 
ELECTIONS 
 
 
Classified By: PolChief Scott Ticknor for reasons 1.5 (d and e). 
 
1.  (C)  Summary:  Electoral Commission (EC) Chairman Kwado 
Afari-Gyan and other EC members are confident that 
preparations are on track for free and fair presidential and 
parliamentary elections in Ghana.  Afari-Gyan said the EC was 
open to party complaints, and that he did not perceive 
disproportionate media access by the ruling New Patriotic 
Party (NPP), as some in the opposition allege.  He hoped the 
published provisional voting register -- due out on October 
12 -- would not generate many requests for changes, which 
could delay election preparations.  The EC is under tight 
time pressure to complete the registration process and 
legalize the election date in Parliament.  The EC welcomes 
foreign observers but is not actively seeking them.  While 
Afari-Gyan's reassurances were convincing, the EC could do a 
better job at communicating with the media and the public. 
End summary. 
 
2.  (U)  On October 6, Charge hosted a lunch for Ghana's 
Electoral Commission Chairman Dr. Kwado Afari-Gyan and five 
of the other six members of the Electoral Commission (EC). 
Charge noted that the Embassy was meeting with all the 
political parties and members of civil society, in addition 
to the EC, to discuss the upcoming elections. 
 
Background 
---------- 
 
3.  (SBU)  Ghana's Electoral Commission (EC) was established 
under the 1992 constitution, with primary responsibility for 
conducting all elections in a free and fair manner.  The EC 
has seven members, headed by a Chairman, and a staff of 1,300 
people.  EC members are nominated by the President (with the 
advice of the Council of State, a group of eminent private 
citizens) and they serve until retirement at age 60.  Ghana's 
EC has earned a good reputation.  Chairman Afari-Gyan is seen 
as impartial and firm, but has become somewhat of a recluse. 
 
The Election "A Bit Tight" 
-------------------------- 
 
4.  (C)  Afari-Gyan painted a confident picture of the EC and 
preparations for the upcoming election.  He conceded that 
preparations were "a bit tight" on time because procedural 
disagreements between the EC and the government had caused a 
six month delay in the voter registration process.  The EC 
completed the registration 'mop up' exercise, which gave 
registered voters more time to get their photos taken.  Few 
people showed up for the mop-up, perhaps because many of the 
extra names were duplicates, the EC reps said.  The register 
of 10.2 million names with photos will be published on 
October 12-17.  The EC can not accept candidate nominations 
until the register is completed but it has tentatively set 
October 20 and 21 as nomination filing dates, according to 
the EC officials. 
 
5.  (C)  Afari-Gyan is confident the police will act 
impartially on election day and that the parties will abide 
by a Code of Conduct not to deploy "macho men" (party thugs) 
to intimidate voters.  He conceded that some materials ran 
short during the registration process because the EC did not 
know how many people would respond in any given area and 
because internal controls on voting material made it 
difficult for EC officials to shift resources.  Election 
participation will be more predictable on voting day and the 
EC will deliver adequate materials to polling booths.  Unlike 
in 2000, this year the EC had budgeted for a possible run-off 
election.  The EC invited participation by foreign observers, 
although it was not actively seeking their involvement. 
 
Responding to Complaints 
------------------------ 
 
6.  (C)  Polchief noted some concerns we have heard about the 
accessibility of the EC to complaints from parties. 
Afari-Gyan said the EC met with all the parties once a month 
in the Inter-Party Committee (IPAC) and that he had a steady 
flow of party officials in his office raising issues.  There 
was a formal complaint mechanism, and he met with the media 
when he saw the need, sometimes in seminars.  He said he 
could not possibly respond to every informal issue or 
complaint raised in radio talk shows and other media, nor can 
he respond to every complaint which parties raise, as some 
were frivolous. 
 
7.  (C)  PolChief noted opposition party complaints that the 
incumbent New Patriotic Party (NPP) is using the state media 
to get disproportionate coverage for its candidate, President 
John Kufuor.  Afari-Gyan said this was primarily an issue for 
the Ghana Media Commission, although the EC would take note 
if these concerns were serious.  At this point, he felt that 
parties were being given fair air time, although the media 
would stick to stories they deemed newsworthy.  It was 
 
 
inevitable the President would get more coverage as he moves 
around the country, and at least he was not wearing party 
colors at official functions, as happened in 2000. 
Afari-Gyan pointed out that under the constitution, the state 
media must give equal time to all candidates once the 
campaign has officially launched (after candidates have filed 
their nominations). 
 
EC Concerns 
----------- 
 
8.  (C)  When asked about his worst nightmare, Afari-Gyan 
said too many demands for changes to the voter registration 
list would further delay election preparations.  He grumbled 
that donors had not fulfilled promises to pay for 40 percent 
of the EC's election expenses.  He worried about being bogged 
down in minor legal squabbles (he had just returned from 
addressing a group of judges, educating them about the 
electoral process and urging them not to grant frivolous 
election-related injunctions.)  Afari-Gyan's biggest headache 
at the moment, however, was legalizing the election date. 
Under the constitution, the EC must submit the date as a 
Constitutional Instrument (CI) to Parliament, which has 21 
days to ratify it.  The EC submitted a CI to parliament on 
October 7.  While the CI is seen as a mere formality, the EC 
is under time pressure since the current session of 
Parliament will only last for about one month. 
 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
9.  (C)  Afari-Gyan was forceful and confident.  He saw no 
major problems in election preparations and offered credible 
responses to concerns about the registration process.  He was 
surprisingly indifferent to a role for foreign observers. 
Afari-Gyan's style is low profile.  If the EC has the 
election preparations under control -- as Chairman Afari-Gyan 
credibly conveyed to us -- it could do a better job of 
convincing civil society and the opposition, many of whom 
view the Commission as inaccessible, unresponsive, and 
inefficient. 
LANIER 
 
 
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