Accra, Dec. 7, GNA - Electoral activities for Ghana's fifth consecutive Presidential and Parliamentary elections on December 7th, have gradually shifted from the polling stations to coalition centres heading towards the Electoral Commission's Strong room. In an interview with Ghana News Agency, an Electoral Officer manning the ICT room (Strong Room) said representatives of the seven political parties contesting the Presidential Election had already pitch camp to witness the transmission of results from the districts. The parties are; ruling New Patriotic Party; National Democratic Congress, Peoples National Convention, Convention Peoples Party, Democratic Freedom Party, Democratic Peoples Party, Reformed Patriotic Democrat and an Independent candidate.

The general public, particularly some politicians, over the years have expressed apprehension about the Strong Room of the Electoral Commission.

The notion created the impression that the Strong Room is a place where election results from the regions are cooked in favour of a political party.

These sentiments gained currency mainly because in 1992, 1996 and the 2000 elections early results favoured a certain political party, which its supporters considered as a good omen for a landslide victory. Since the inception of the Fourth Republic, the EC has carried with it the perception of manipulating election results in the operations room otherwise called the Strong Room.

However operations in the strong room begins with the drop of a fax from EC Regional Office, the party representatives are then given the form to scrutinise the results sheets from the regions before sending it to EC chairman to finally endorse for announcement. In the past the slightest anomaly on the sheet, which has nothing to do with the figures, makes some party representatives to refuse to sign until the home region answers a fax correcting the original copy.

An insight into the operations of the Strong Room reveals that the EC has 10 fax machines connected to their regional offices. The 11th machine is used to fax the endorsed results to the Ghana International Press Centre projector.

Three telephone lines, two direct and one intercom, are available to all the party representatives and media representatives who need to make phone calls. A television set also kept people abreast with events outside.

No restriction is placed on the movement of party representatives. Party representatives may pick the fax sheet as the information from the regions drifted in, contrary to their assigned roles as observers. The process starts from the moment a fax sheet is received from the region. An official of EC would pick it and call out the results to the party representatives, who will compile the figures.

The fax sheet would then be given the party representatives to cross check the signature of their officials in the region of origin and when satisfied, they also sign it.

After that process, the fax sheet would be sent to the EC Chairman, Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, in his office for endorsement. The result sheet is then sent back to the Strong Room from where it is faxed to the various centres. Copies are also given to the party representatives in the Strong Room.

Significantly, the EC Strong Room is opened to political parties, local and foreign journalists, observer missions and accredited individuals who wish to check results as they are approved by the commission.