Associate Professor at the University of Ghana, Ransford Gyampo, has advised Ghana not to pay heed to foreign observer missions like the European Union Election Observation Mission that set out to monitor elections.

Speaking on Top Story, he said that these missions do not produce anything different from the reports by the local observer missions like Coalition of Domestic Elections Observers (CODEO).

“I don’t think we need the EU again to come and tell us what we did right and what we did wrong. We ourselves if we are doing the wrong thing we know. I think as we are growing our democracy we must begin to place much emphasis on our own local observer missions.”

Prof Gyampo said that the local missions are headed by eminent Ghanaians with experience in the political terrain of Ghana.

However, the EU chooses personnel most of whom do not appreciate the political atmosphere and further pick and choose what to observe, he added.

He said that Ghana has what it takes to improve on its election processes without advice from the EU election observation missions.

“I saw some of the recommendations that they made to the effect that we should give a fixed term of office to the EC chair. I think this recommendation is something that we have made long ago,” the lecturer said on Thursday.

“I was a member of the electoral report committee way back in 2014, we made this recommendation and so they are not saying anything that is completely new that we must begin to take them seriously.”

His comment comes after comments come after the EU Election Observer Mission released their final report on Ghana's 2020 elections.

The report, among other things, stated that despite the electoral violence recorded in some areas of the country and instances of vote-buying, the election was generally free and fair.

The EU also made 18 recommendation some of which include, having the Electoral Commission publish on its website detailed polling station results for all elections and establishment of clear procedures for presiding officers, returning officers and regional collation officers to be stipulated on how to proceed in cases of irregularities during the counting and collation process.

Prof Gyampo said that although Ghana’s democracy may not be as consolidated as that of some of the first world countries, the people have shown signs that democracy is here to stay.

He referenced the BBC article that called the 2020 general elections boring explaining that the news media did not see people take to the streets to fight and/or kill themselves over their disagreements.

“This is the second time we have held elections and there were disagreements about the election results. This is the second time that we have gone to court to settle matters and I think that clearly, we are showing that democracy has come to stay. Our electoral processes are not fully consolidated, but clearly, we have what it takes to improve upon the processes.”

Prof Gyampo added that before Ghana can take the EU observer missions seriously they should also produce a report on the US election results.

“The EU election observation mission was silent when Donald Trump was playing the political buffoonery in their recently held elections.”

“They didn’t say anything. What prevents them? Let them show us their report of the American election processes and all the things that went on there. If they are able to do so, then we can take them seriously.”