Drop powers of president to appoint EC Chair – Dzogbenuku

Flagbearer of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) Brigitte Dzogbenuku has called for an amendment of the 1992 Constitution especially the aspect that gives the President the power to appoint the Chair of the Electoral Commission (EC).

She explained that this will deal with the notion that the Chair of the elections management body is the President’s poodle and also engender trust and confidence in the electoral process.

She said this on The Key Points on TV3 Saturday, September 19.

“We want to build the democracy of this country, we don’t just want to build two parties who have divided the country.

“We need to build the democracy that unifies the country.

“The Electoral Commission also needs to be seen in a light as promoting this and not promoting their agenda of any party.

“What happens is that in each elections it is seen that the Electoral Commission is for one party or the other.

“I think that the best way to deal with it is to review the constitution so that the Electoral Commissioner is no longer an appointee of the President but indeed qualifies and is seen and is voted into or appointed by the Public Service Commission from a pool of people who are all capable.”