‘EC’s Bossman should consider contesting for NPP National Organiser – Asiedu Nketiah

Deputy Commisioner of the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr Eric Asare Bossman is better off joining the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) to become a National Organiser for the ruling party, the General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has posited.

The NDC chief scribe firmly believes the deputy EC boss contesting an election in the NPP will save Ghanaians numerous election-related misfortunes than being left to continue with his biases while managing affairs at the Commission.

His comment comes after thousands of Ghanaian social media users heavily criticised Dr Bossman for declaring his position in an upcoming referendum his outfit will conduct on December 17, 2019.

The Deputy Commissioner, in a radio interview, expressed his support for the amendment of article 55(3) of the Constitution which will provide the choice for Ghanaians to contest for local government office on partisan lines.

In an audio that has since gone viral, Dr Bossman made a strong case for why he thought Ghanaians should vote ‘Yes’, adding that the smaller parties, apart from the ruling NPP and the NDC, can also be part of the local governance system should Ghanaians support the cause to amend the constitution and affirm that the district level elections are held on party lines.

“When you look at best practices in many parts of the World, they tend to favour the partisan,” the former University of Ghana lecturer posited, adding “As an academic…when I was teaching in the USA, I used to teach some local government politics. When you look at literature and the best practice argument, what is very clear is that political parties tend to be more responsible when they are given opportunity and let’s be very clear…The best practice argument supports the political parties being engaged at the local level,” he said.

Dr Bossman went on to make a case that voting ‘Yes’ will help eliminate the “winner-takes-all” political system that has been in use for a long time.

“We shouldn’t also forget that we have always been complaining that the president is given so much powers and we are also complaining about winner-takes-all politics… It [holding partisan elections at the local level] addresses some of the problems with winner-takes-all because not all assemblies will have their Chief Executives from one party,” Dr Bossman added.

His comments has been condemned by the opposition NDC and other political commentators and civil society organisations (CSOs), especially as the ruling government holds same view as Dr Bossman.

Commenting on the matter on Dwaboase on Power 97.9 Friday morning, Mr Asiedu Nketiah said the NDC didn’t take his campaign lightly and hinted they [NDC] had written to the EC for further sanctions to be taken against his “unwarranted conduct”.

“As for him [Dr Bossman] he is not fit to occupy the position he is holding now…It will be better he resigns as a deputy EC boss and join the NPP and contest for the position of a National Organiser,” Mr Nketiah stated.

Calls for Bossman to resign

The position of the NDC General Secretary is not different from his National Chairman, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, who wants the EC’s second in command to resign.

Ofosu Ampofo, in an interview with Mugabe Maase on Inside Politics, described the conduct of Dr Bossman as “unprofessional” and demanded for his resignation, stressing that would save the already “sinking image” of the Electoral Commission.

“How can a referee [EC Commissioner] embark on a campaign ahead of a referendum when you know that it is wrong and unacceptable?…If Dr Bossman has conscience he should resign,” Mr Ampofo said on Power 97.9FM Monday afternoon.

His reason was that, such actions make Ghanaians doubt the credibility of the electoral body as the country prepares to go to polls to elect a president in December 2020, stressing that the EC must sanction Dr Bossman for his unprofessional conduct.