GhanaElection 2008 A seven-day programme dubbed“Time with EC” was held on TV3 with a fifteen(15) minutes appearance each day by either the Acting Director of Public Affairs or his representative. These appearances were used to educate the public on the electoral process, how to mark the ballot paper and to respond to issues of transfer of votes and appointment of proxies. The Commission had programmes with Unique FM in local languages during which selected officials of the Commission appeared to explain the process in the local languages. The Chairman and the Deputy Chairman(F&A) also made several appearances on programmes such as the Front Page on Joy FM, Agenda on TV3 and Talking Point on GTV besides the numerous contributions made on various networks on radio talk shows to respond to nagging issues which helped a lot in assuaging the fears of people. Observer Accreditation There was a special arrangement with the Ghana Journalist Association(GJA) to accredit all media organizations and personnel to ensure correct reportage. More than 100 media organizations and personnel including BBC and VOA were accredited by the GJA. Assessment of Reportage From the foregoing, one would have expected that media coverage of the last elections would have been near perfect. This, unfortunately, was not to be. On a few occasions airtime was given to politicians and social commentators to make spurious allegations against the Commission. In one of such instances, open allegation on a radio programme were made that Commission members were being invited to the Castle and told what to do. Such statements could have impugned the people's trust and confidence in the Commission. At most of these talk show programmes, the Commission was not represented to respond to the issues. The worst forms of reportage were experienced during the run-off presidential election. Some radio stations became openly partisan and resorted to inciting supporters of political parties leading to large groups of people massing up in the precincts of the Commission. In one instance, the press put out uncertified results from the Manhyia constituency, in the Ashanti Region, that run counter to the Commission's own declared results causing the Commission a great deal of embarrassment. In spite of the various workshops to educate the press on the electoral laws 53