2020 polls: Have no rigging fears – Bossman Asare to Mahama

A Deputy Commissioner of Ghana’s Electoral Commission (EC), Dr Bossman Asare, has assured former President John Dramani Mahama that the elections management body will not work in the interest of a particular political party at the expense of others.

He said the Commission will be fair to all parties and Ghanaians in general.

Mr Mahama recently said the posturing of Mrs Jean Mensa, the Chairperson of the EC, does not indicate that she will be neutral in the 2020 polls.

According to him, Mrs Mensa has acted in ways that suggest that representatives of the political parties are a disturbance to the elections management body, a situation he said was unfortunate.

“They need to prove us wrong. We have our doubts that they can be neutral and fair … The current posture and the way they are conducting things makes us doubt that they will be neutral and fair in 2020,” Mr Mahama told Accra-based Citi FM on Monday, 20 May 2019.

He added: “The EC is not a secret society. It is not somebody’s private closet that needs to be shut, and, [we], not know what is going on there… They should open all the process.

“When the EC starts behaving like the representatives of political parties are a nuisance … then this affects the trust and confidence the people have in the EC – a neutral arbiter.”

As far as Mrs Mensa is concerned, Mr Mahama said: “Her posture doesn’t give confidence that she is going to be neutral in this matter,” he stated.

But speaking to Peace FM on Thursday, 23 May 209, Dr Asare said: “I will urge the former president not to entertain any worry at all. We are at the Commission to serve all Ghanaians.

“We will follow due process and ensure that the electoral system is credible, free and fair to all so that whoever wins the elections will feel satisfied and whoever loses will accept it in good faith.

“Again, I will assure the former president not to worry at all.”