The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) has accused political parties and the Electoral Commission (EC) of flouting COVID-19 safety protocols during political activities.
This was contained in CODEO’s second pre-election environment observation report for the month of October.
The election observers said: “With respect to COVID-19 health and safety protocols, CODEO observer reports indicate that a few people adhered to the social-distancing protocols and wore face masks during campaign activities and other activities by stakeholders”.
“For instance, a rally organised on October 7, 2020, in Ahomahomasu in the Fanteakwa North constituency of the Eastern Region to welcome the vice-presidential aspirant of the NDC, was very crowded with party supporters flouting the required social-distancing protocol.
“During the voter transfer exercise at the Akwatia district office of the EC, social-distancing was not observed among some applicants, and only a few, reportedly, wore face masks.
There are worries Ghana could be experiencing a second wave of the virus as the active cases continue to rise steadily in recent weeks with over 1,000 cases from as low as 300 some weeks ago.
The ministry of health has also identified the lack of adherence to the safety protocols as the cause of the rise in COVID cases in the country.
CODEO has, thus, reminded all political parties, party supporters, the EC and all stakeholders to be mindful of the risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure adherence to all relevant health and safety protocols to prevent the spread of the virus.
Meanwhile, information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has debunked assertions that political parties have contributed to the spread of the virus due to their political activities.
Speaking at a press conference, Mr Nkrumah said the data does not support that argument.
Instead, he appealed to organisations and offices with enclosed spaces to ensure strict adherence to the safety protocols of hand-washing, wearing of face masks, the use of sanitisers and observation of social distancing.
Source: Ghana/otecfmghana.com
