‘Competent’ Jean Mensa-led EC saved Ghana $90m in 2020 polls as compared to 2016 - Bossman Asare
- EC has described the 2020 polls as the most peaceful and successful
-The EU Observation Mission also said that the elections met international standards
- President Akufo-Addo won the elections
Our manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in
Dr. Bossman Eric Asare says the Electoral Commission saved the country some $90million after spending over $700million for the 2020 general elections.
Source: Facebook
The Deputy Chairman of the Commission in charge of Corporate Services made the disclosure in a yet-to-be aired interview on The Probe on Joy News.
“The Commission [in the 2020 election] spent a little over ¢766 million and when you look at it in dollar terms may be some ¢150 million and when you compare this to what the Commission has been doing previously, this translates into $7.70 cents per each voter,” Dr. Asare stated.
“In 2016, we did it at $13 per voter, [so considering this], you are looking at a little over $90 million and we didn’t do that by accident,” he added.
According to him, prudent management was the contributing factor to the saving made.
The commission’s Deputy Director of Elections, Michael Boadi, described the 2020 polls as the most successful since the inception of the Fourth Republic as earlier reported by YEN.com.gh.
“It is…indisputable that the 2020 parliamentary and presidential elections were the most successful, well-coordinated, efficient, and the most peaceful election organised in the 4th Republic of Ghana,” he stated during a post-election workshop by CODEO in Accra.
The European Union Election Observation Mission to Ghana 2020 (EU EOM) also said the elections organised by the Jean Mensa-led EC were “efficiently organised and competitive.”
At a press conference in Accra, Chief Observer, Javier Nart, noted that voters participated freely in large numbers and that the process “successfully met a range of international standards.”
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo defeated former President John Mahama in the said election to secure another four-year term; collecting 51.302% of the votes cast against the latter’s 47.359%.
The votes difference between the two candidates stood at 517, 231, representing a four-percentage point, one of the highest since 1996.
The former president rejected the outcome of the elections and petitioned the Supreme Court.
He argued that there was no winner in the elections and that the declaration by the chairperson of EC was flawed.
He thus prayed the court to order for a rerun of the elections between him and Akufo-Addo.
The Apex Court, however, dismissed the petition, stating that it cannot order a rerun of the 2020 presidential polls.
The panel held that former President John Dramani Mahama, the petitioner in the case, failed to adduce “cogent evidence” to back his claims that there was no winner in the December 7, 2020, presidential elections.
Enjoy reading our stories?
Join YEN.com.gh's Telegram channel!
Never miss important updates Download YEN's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Ghana news.
Source: YEN.com.gh
