Election 2020: Unexpected rains, delayed voting reason for late declaration of results – Jean Mensa

Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Jean Mensa has attributed the Commission’s inability to declare the results of the presidential election to sudden rains and delayed voting in some constituencies.

According to the EC boss, the unexpected rains at some centres had interrupted the voting exercise on Election Day thus leading to some constituencies voting long after the voting deadline nationwide which subsequently affected counting and collation of votes.

“Naturally, this had an impact on our plans, in the sense that our offices could not collate the results and forward them to their appropriate locations as planned,” she said.

She also mentioned that the rain had made certain areas particularly in the hinter lands inaccessible to the Commission’s officials thus making it difficult for results to be submitted to the EC’s regional offices.

“So this led to some substantial delays resulting in our receiving the results late, and this explains why the Commission was not able to declare the results as promised at 5pm Tuesday,” she explained.

Jean Mensa was however quick to point out that the Commission was working round the clock to ensure that the results were properly collated and due process followed before a declaration is made.

“As we speak the Commission has received 14 out of 16 regional results. We at the National Collation centre, we’ve had representatives of the political parties since yesterday. We had two reps for each party and they’re working with our own staff.

“As the results come in the party representatives review them against what they themselves have received from the region, and once they’re satisfied that the results that have come to us from the regions is a true reflection of what they have received, they then upend their signatures to it before the results are brought to my attention as returning officer of the 2020 presidential election. I then certify these results,” she stated.

She said the EC at the moment has certified seven of the 14 regional results and will be certifying the remaining seven in due time.

The remaining two will be arriving at the Commission’s headquarters Wednesday morning, Jean Mensa said.

“We’ve also put the seven results we’ve received, approved and certified on the various social media platforms and the website of the Commission so we are entreating the citizenry to visit our websites and our social media platforms to review the results of the seven regions that have so far been certified.”