The U.S. Ambassador to Ghana, Stephanie S. Sullivan has joined the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD) and Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) to open the National Information Center. 

Representatives from the Electoral Commission, Election Security Taskforce, and the National Peace Council as well as members of the diplomatic corps also attended the ceremony.

The National Information Center will be based in the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Center for the duration of Ghana’s 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary elections. 

A joint activity between the U.S. government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), CDD, and CODEO, this temporary centre will serve as CODEO’s operational base for the Parallel Vote Tabulation and the repository for reports from CODEO election observers deployed across the country during Ghana’s 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary elections. 

The Parallel Vote Tabulation will be an additional resource to help support the Electoral Commission to ensure a free, fair, and credible election.

During the opening ceremony, U.S. Ambassador commended Ghana’s leadership under the Fourth Republic for providing a strong example of democracy in the region and across the world. 

Ambassador Sullivan expressed confidence that Ghana’s election will be free, fair, and peaceful. 

She noted that for any election to be successful all concerned must foster an environment that respects the law and allows for the free and unfettered exercise of individuals’ right to vote. 

In her remarks, Ambassador Sullivan encouraged the media to engage in their craft safely and responsibly and noted the imperative for institutions of national security and law enforcement to protect a free and responsible media environment, which allows the communication of facts on which citizens can make informed decisions.

The U.S. government continues to work with the government of Ghana and civil society stakeholders to bolster accountable governance. 

In addition to USAID’s support of organisations like CDD, the U.S. Embassy will support an election observation mission composed of 33 teams. 

The observation teams, made up of members of the U.S. Embassy community, will travel across the country and observe the elections in 15 regions.