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For Immediate Release

Contact:
Deborah Hakes, 404-420-5124

A Carter Center delegation will visit Ghana from Oct. 27 –31 to assess the ongoing difficulties and irregularities with voter registration processes and other concerns ahead of the Dec. 7 presidential and parliamentary elections. The group includes Carter Center Vice President for Peace Programs Dr. John Stremlau, former Canadian Assistant Chief Electoral Officer Ron Gould, elections operations expert Glenn Cowan, and Carter Center Assistant Director of the Democracy Program John Marsh.

The delegation will meet with the election commission, political actors, representatives of civil society, and the media.

"Carterremains concerned about the deterioration of public confidence in the elections process and the potential for violence, but we are hopeful that significant improvement can still be made before Dec. 7," said Dr. Stremlau. "We look forward to hearing from the political leadership and other decision-makers who can give us first-hand information."

The delegation's visit is part of the Center's ongoing support to Ghana's efforts to conduct peaceful, credible, and transparent democratic elections. Nine Carter Center long-term observers have been deployed throughout Ghana to monitor campaigning and other political activities since early-September. They will be joined by a 50-person delegation closer to election day.

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A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, Carterhas helped to improve life for people in more than 70 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; improving mental health care; and teaching farmers in developing nations to increase crop production. Carterwas founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide.

Read more about the Carter Center's work in Ghana >>

26 August 2008: Carter Center Releases Findings From its Observation of Ghana's Voter Registration >>

25 July 2008: Carter Center Launches Election Observation Mission to Ghana >>