Ghana's domestic observers endorse results of presidential election

Domestic election watchers, the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) said on Saturday that Ghana's 2016 presidential election results announced by the Electoral Commission (EC) is a true reflection of the will of the people.

Addressing a press conference here Saturday to announce its Parallel Votes Tabulation (PVT) results, CODEO said the presidential results released on Friday night by the EC was what Ghanaians voted for.

Co-Chairperson of CODEO, Prof. Miranda Greenstreet said CODEO's estimates were consistent with official results.

The EC declared 72 year old Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as winner of the presidential poll, obtaining 53.85 percent of the total valid votes cast as against president John Dramani Mahama's 44.40 percent. The PVT results obtained by CODEO put Akufo-Addo at 53.75 percent while that of Mahama is 44.32 percent.

The domestic election observers indicated that the presidential election results represent the true will of Ghanaians.

"CODEO is confident that the results of the 2016 presidential polls declared by the Electoral Commission are the accurate reflection of how Ghanaians voted in the December 7 polls," Greenstreet said.

"Accordingly, CODEO advises the contestants in the presidential election, their supporters and the general public to place confidence in the official presidential election results as declared by the Electoral Commission, " she urged.

The group commended the country's president John Dramani Mahama and the other five losing contestants in the presidential race for the maturity shown by conceding defeat and congratulating the president-elect Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

It further commended the security agencies and the general public for the role played in ensuring peaceful polls.

The PVT is an advanced and scientific election observation technique that employs well established statistical principles and utilizes Information Communication Technology (ICT) to observe elections.

The technique has been deployed successfully around the world to promote electoral integrity and help defend the rights of citizens to vote and to protect such rights when exercised.

It has been deployed in Ghana in the 2008, 2012 and the 2016 presidential elections.

source: Xinhua