EC’s powers must be redefined - Kofi Bentil

The powers given to the Electoral Commission of Ghana must be redefined given that its flaws are deep and inexcusable, Mr Kofi Bentil, Vice President of IMANI Ghana, has said.

His comment follows the EC’s disqualification of 12 flag bearers who were seeking to contest in the December 7 presidential election.

The Chair of the EC, Charlotte Osei, on Monday October 10, based on certain actions and omissions, announced the disqualification of flag bearers of the All People's Congress (APC), Hassan Ayariga; Dr Edward Mahama of the People's National Convention (PNC); Dr Agyenim Boateng of the United Front Party (UFP); Kofi Akpaloo of the Independent People's Party (IPP); Kwabena Adjei of the Reformed Patriotic Democrats (RPD); and Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom of the Progressive People's Party (PPP).

The others include: Dr Henry Herbert Lartey of the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP); Mr Richard Nixon Tetteh (United Development Systems Party); Thomas Ward-Brew of the Democratic People’s Party (DPP); Alfred Kwame Asiedu Walker, an independent candidate, and Akua Donkor of the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP). Mr Akwasi Addae Odike of the United Progressive Party's nomination is on hold pending a court case.

But the EC’s action has attracted flak from those who have been disqualified with some threatening to sue the election management body.

Following these concerns, Mr Bentil wrote on his Facebook wall on Tuesday October 11: “Having condemned the inexcusable sloppiness of some candidates and after seeing their just punishment, it is time to raise again the inappropriate overwhelming powers of the EC which were so designed because we were trying to control a dictator.”

“Those ad hominem powers need review. They no longer help our democracy. We seriously need to redefine the powers of the EC. It must be an administrator, not an authority. As it stands now, the EC has our sovereignty by the neck. The EC is a very imperfect institution. Indeed their flaws are deep and equally inexcusable. Must they wield such power even if they were competent? How much less when they are this imperfect.”