The Ghana Journalists Association is petitioning the Electoral Commission to relax the new law, CI 72 which bars journalists from participating in the early voting this year.
The GJA says this will guarantee the credibility of the elections and prevent voters from tampering with electoral results.
The petition follows the EC’s announcement that henceforth only electoral officials, security personnel and agents of political parties who will be directly involved in the elections are eligible for the special or early voting.
Principal Public Relations Officer of the Commission, Sylvia Annor early on Wednesday said, the Electoral Commission had indicated that there will be no early voting for the media for election 2012.
“There are several changes in the electioneering processes. The new law being used, CI 72 indicates that anybody who wants to take part in the early voting, you must work with the electoral commission or security personnel who will be busy on the Election Day. Even that you have to write an application to the EC 42 days before elections…” she asserted.
According to Sylvia Annor, the only way out for journalists is to wake up early to cast their votes on December 7th to avoid the long queues, knowing that they (journalists) have to cover the elections.
But General Secretary of the GJA, Bright Blewu told JOY NEWS, that aspect of the new law was not highlighted enough for the Association to make intervention during the debate on the floor of Parliament.
He said the GJA was in the process of submitting a formal petition to the EC to request an urgent meeting with Dr. Kwadwo Afari Gyan to consider its plea for media practitioners to join take part in the early voting.
He said if the EC fails to allow journalists to participate in the early voting, the elections will suffer deficiency of media coverage since majority of the journalists based in the cities, would prefer to cast their ballots in their localities before moving to their assigned destinations.
