Posted by Chester Morton / Monday 12 December 2016 / No comments
The conditions for free and fair election
An independent Electoral Commission
One of the conditions that can ensure a free and fair
election is the existence of a free and independent Electoral Commission to
oversee the conduct of the election. In other words all the stages of the electoral
process must left entirely in the hands of the Electoral Commission without any
interference from any quarter of the political divide.
An independent judiciary
Another condition for a free and fair election is the
existence of an independent judiciary. This necessary because in every electoral,
a dispute may arise at any stage of the electoral process. There must therefore
be an independent body that can adjudicate the dispute and come out with a
ruling that can satisfy all parties involved.
An independent Press
To ensure a free and fair election, there must in existence a
free and independent press. This is to ensure that the press carry out their
mandate as the fourth realm of the estate in an atmosphere devoid of intimidation
and arm twisting either from governing party or from opposition parties.
Fair media access
It is also a condition for free and fair election if all the
political parties in the race to capture government are given equal access to
the media. This is to ensure that they are all able to put their case before
the electorates so that they all have a fair chance of being elected during the
election. In other words, there should equal access to radio, television and
newspaper coverage.
Absence of discrimination
Also to ensure free and fair election, no voter must be
discriminated against on account of his or her religion, race, ethnic
background, and language, level of education or sex. In other words, the
Electoral Commission must allow for the principle of Universal Adult Suffrage
to operate in the conduct of the election.
Presence of international observers
The ruling government must invite international observers
into the country to observe the processes of the election and determine whether
the election was free and fair or not. Some international observer groups that
usually come to Ghana during elections include the Commonwealth and the African
Union.
SAMPLE QUESTIONS
1. Examine six measures that must be taken into consideration
to ensure free and fair election in your country.
2. Highlight six conditions that are necessary to ensure free
and fair election.
