Electorates’ Perception on the Participation of Election Observers in Ghana’s 2012 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections

Abstract

Election observation is an important tool for improving the worth of elections and well-executed election observation is helpful in strengthening the democratisation process in a country. The study assessed electorates’ perception on the participation of election observers in Ghana’s 2012 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections. Descriptive survey technique was used and study employed simple random sampling was employed to select respondents for the study. The sample size for the study was one thousand respondents and the research instruments used were questionnaire and structured interview. Findings show that the electorates know election observers’ role and impact they have during elections. From the study findings all the respondents (100%) strongly agree or agree to the fact that election observers’ core duty is to check that elections are conducted in a country in compliance of   both local and international standards governing the conduct of free, fair and credible election with the provision of adequate security personnel in the polling grounds with their role in maintaining order within the polling centres. The study concluded that there is an established and increasing electorates’ commendation for the positive participation of the impartial election observers in the 2012 presidential and parliamentary elections of Ghana and recommended that international community must support election observers efforts to improve the quality and credibility of elections observers through professional election observation and monitoring of both local and international observers group and local and international  observers need to employing standardised methodology and technology capable of monitoring the whole electoral process.

Keywords: Election observers, credible election, legitimate authority, democracy, Ghana