IEA discussants call for enforcement of Presidential Office Act 463

Accra, June, 16, GNA - Participants at the maiden discourse on President Succession Arrangements Bill 2008 on Monday called on the presidency to strictly adhere to Presidential Office Act, 463.

Section 11 of the Act enjoins the President to within three months after the end of each financial year submit to Parliament an annual report containing the number of presidential staff employed at the Office. It should specify the rank or grade of such staff and employees in the other public services assigned to the Office.

The participants including lawyers, Members of Parliament, politicians, academia, civic educators, governance experts and status law experts said the Office of the President has over the years not fulfilled this requirement.

The discussion workshop was organized by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA Ghana), a public policy institute, in collaboration with the Ghana Political Parties Programme (GPPP).

"The President shall keep or cause to be kept books of account and proper records in relation to them, and the account books and records of the Office shall be audited annually by the Auditor General," the participants quoted the Act as saying.

The Act also focuses on the establishment of the Presidential Office, function of the office, members of the office, tenure of office, consultants and experts, and qualification of presidential staff. The rest are application of Code of Conduct, expenses of offices charged on Consolidated Fund, Annual Report, account and audit, regulation, consequential amendment, repeal and interpretation.

A person appointed a Presidential staff holds office at the pleasure of the President and ceases to hold Office on his removal or resignation from office or on cessation of the tenure of office of the President. Leading the discussion on the proposed Bill, Mr Justice V.C.R.A.C. Crabbe, a Status Law Revision Commissioner at the Attorney-General's Department, called for public debate and discussion of the proposal to ensure that the rancorous nature of the last handing over process was removed.

He said the unfortunate state of affairs demanded that political parties and the body politic put in place a mechanism that would induce some measure of accommodation and co-operation.

"A better and more harmonious transfer of the reins of needless strain between the winner and the loser in an election helps to forge national reconciliation, lowering of political tension and the promotion of inter-party co-operation," Justice Crabbe stated.

Nana Ato Dadzie, former Presidential Chief of Staff, outlining some factors that ihibited the 2001 transition, said the euphoria of victory and the disappointment of losing brought about some form of unpleasantness and discord in the work of the team and conflicting postures introduced irritation on both sides.

"The ill-will developed during the vicious and acrimonious political campaign period insidiously wormed its way into the work of the Transitional Team and denied it the much needed co-operation and goodwill," Nana Ato Dadzie stated.

Mrs Jean Mensa, IEA Ghana Administrator, explained that the lack of established procedures resulted in the use of discretional powers, therefore the need to establish a permanent team.

Brigadier-General Francis Agyemfra (rtd), a Senior IEA Ghana Fellow, chaired the workshop, which was also attended by Mr. Peter Ala Adjetey, former Speaker of Parliament, Mr Kwamena Ahwoi, a constitutional expert and Mr. Paul Victor Obeng, IEA Consultant on the Bill.