By: Kekeli K. Blamey
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission has denied allegations that suggest that it predicted violence during Ghana’s 2024 general elections, in its recent Pre-Election Fact-Finding Mission to the country.
The Herald Newspaper in an article, published on August 21, 2024, claimed to have obtained a ‘draft statement’ from the ECOWAS Mission, in which the commission ‘predicted violence’ in the electoral process.
In an official statement, ECOWAS clarified that its pre-electoral missions do not publicly release findings, as these reports are confidential and intended solely for the President of the Commission to assist in engagements with member states.
The Commission emphasised that at no point did it predict violence in Ghana’s electoral process, labelling The Herald’s report as a gross misrepresentation of the Mission’s procedures and findings.
“To educate The Herald, ECOWAS pre-electoral Missions do not issue statements on their findings. Besides, reports of such missions are confidential and meant only for the eyes of the President of the Commission to aid his engagements with the authorities in the Member States.
“In this instance, the preliminary report is still undergoing quality control. At no time before, during and after the Fact-Finding Mission has ECOWAS ‘predicted violence’ in the electoral process. The Commission therefore finds it preposterous that The Herald would disingenuously repeat the standard operating procedures of ECOWAS fact-finding missions, twist issues that are in the public domain in Ghana and try to push its partisan conclusions into the mouth of ECOWAS.
“The ECOWAS Commission rightly holds Ghana in high esteem as a model of maturing democracy and tolerance on the continent and often cites the country for regulation in the region. The Commission, therefore, condemns any attempts by sections of the media to misuse the name of ECOWAS in their vain attempts to sow discord among the over 32 million peace-loving people of Ghana through manipulation, partisan positions and veiled incitement to intolerance and violence. Ghana deserves better,” the commission stated.
