Let’s demystify Electoral Commission – Minority Leader

Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu wants political parties and staff of the Electoral Commission (EC) to demystify the roles of the Commissioners at the election management body.

According to him, Ghana has one of the best electoral processes in the world and politicians should, therefore, stop demonising the commission.

Speaking on the floor of parliament on Wednesday, 25 July 2018, Mr Iddrisu said parliament was investigating the backgrounds of persons named by President Nana Akufo-Addo as new commissioners following the dismissal of Mrs Charlotte Osei and her two deputies, Amadu Sulley and Georgina Amankwah.

Mrs Jean Mensa, the Executive Director of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has been nominated by Nana Akufo-Addo as the next EC Chair.

Apart from Mrs Mensa, the newly-appointed deputies are a political science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr Eric Asare Bossman; and Samuel Tettey, Director of Electoral services in charge of elections at the Electoral Commission. Also Ms Adjoa Esuama Abrefa, a corporate legal practitioner with specialisation in land property acquisition, was named as a member of the commissioner.

The Tamale South lawmaker said: “We’re interrogating the personalities and backgrounds of those appointed. What I want is a credible Electoral Commission to conduct free and fair elections in Ghana, but trust me, in my own opinion, my elections in Tamale South first, then, I’ll be interested in what happens in the other 274 constituencies.

“What happens at the headquarters is what we remit to them and, therefore, we should demystify what an Electoral Commission Chair and Deputy Commissioners can do. Honestly, we should demystify it.

“In my constituency, I get my election results by 9 or 10pm and I have it from all my polling stations. I expect the Electoral Commission to deploy men on time, electoral materials on time, credible electoral papers on time, so members of parliament and all of us must take interest in the electoral processes and the electoral system.

“Ghana has one of the best electoral systems, and, so, when I hear people say they cheated at the polling station, where were you? The results are declared at the polling stations and the community is there when the results are being declared… Ideally, I think we have one of the best electoral systems in terms of declaration of results and others…”

Mr Iddrisu stated that he will make his views on the newly-nominated Chairperson of the EC known at the appropriate time, stressing that he wants an independent and credible person for that role.