The Electoral Commission (EC) of the University of Ghana Students’ Representative Council (UGSRC) has introduced a new instrument to govern the conduct of the upcoming SRC elections pursuant to its mandate under Article 38 of the UGRSC Constitution, dubbed Constitutional Instrument (C. I. 24).
The Instrument enacts rules, regulations, and protocols aimed at ensuring a free, fair, transparent, and credible elections. In the preamble to the instrument, the EC indicated that the C. I. was developed taking into account the experiences of previous SRC elections and in accordance with best practices from other SRC jurisdictions.
The Instrument indicates that the elections will be held electronically utilizing an online-offsite voting system facilitated by the University of Ghana Computing Systems (UGCS)’s online platform to ensure a secure and an efficient voting process.
“C.I 24 shall have an electronic election through an online-offsite voting system.
University of Ghana Computing Systems (UGCS) shall conduct the elections via an online-offsite system.”
In relation to the composition of the Vetting Committee, the C.I specified that it will comprise of such individuals as stated in Article 41 of the UGSRC constitution, ensuring inclusivity and accessibility to all students and thus representing the broader student body.
Moreover, as stated in Article 4, paragraph d, sub-paragraph (i);
“…the vetting committee shall have the rights to disqualify an aspirant only when the said aspirant does not meet the eligibility requirement of the UGSRC constitution or voluntarily withdraws.”
Sub-paragraph (ii), paragraph d of Article 4 further provides that;
“In a case where on a ticket, especially the Presidential and Vice ticket, one of the aspirants, either the President or the Vice, does not meet any of the requirements as stated in the UGSRC Constitution, the whole ticket is therefore disqualified.”
The EC also assured that it will engage accredited security services from the Ghana Police, internal security, and student cadets to ensure a secure electoral process involving only authorized personnel.
In addition, the Chairperson of the EC is mandated to announce the preliminary results of the elections within 24 hours of the close of polls. The C.I. emphasizes that any grievances against the EC or the election must be dealt with in accordance with the UGSRC constitution, which provides the legal channels for electoral dispute resolution or appeals.
“Any person who is dissatisfied with the conduct of the electronic election may
challenge the election in accordance with UGSRC constitution.”
In conclusion, the Commission reaffirmed its commitment to conducting a fair and transparent election in order to deepen democracy and promote peace and harmony within the university community.
Find the above-mentioned full C.I. document below;
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Story by: Hussein Habibata Maltiti | univers.ug.edu.gh
