Late declaration of results a key contributor to election violence – Jonathan Okyere

Political scientist at the University of Cape Coast, Jonathan Asante Okyere has attributed the fire incident of the Kwashieman Cluster of School and other election-related violence to the late declaration of election results by the Electoral Commission.

In an interview on ABC News, Mr. Okyere emphasized that delays in announcing results create a fertile ground for misinformation, mistrust, and the mobilization of aggrieved supporters.

He urged electoral commissions to adopt more efficient processes, including advanced technology and transparent protocols, to speed up the collation and announcement of results.

“I am tempted to believe that the late declarations have occasioned all these destructive elemene that e find in the electoral space,” he said.

Meanwhile, Jonathan Asante Okyere has urged the Electoral Commission to initiate comprehensive reforms to enhance safety and efficiency in electoral operations.

His comment follows a fire outbreak that occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, December 17, 2024, at the Kwashieman Cluster of Schools.

The facility, notable for housing the Ablekuma North Constituency ballot boxes, is considered to have been set ablaze by unknown perpetrators as tensions continue to build up.

This comes after the suspension of collation of parliamentary results by the EC due to security concerns.

Speaking in an interview on ABC News GH, Mr. Okyere expressed concern over the incident, emphasizing the need for robust contingency measures to protect sensitive electoral materials and ensure the integrity of the electoral process.

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