EC is not a beneficiary of electoral victory: Its intransigence is unnecessary

The framers of our 1992 constitution with Amendments through 1996 in Article 46 stipulate the independence of the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) in the performance of its duties without the control of any person or authority.

Therefore, the EC is a key stakeholder when it comes to election-related activities in our country. It is supposed to be an impartial referee who ensures that political players play the game of politics according to agreed rules by law and by practice in the context of our country.

The eras of first substantive Chairman of the EC from 1993 until 2015, Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, and the first-ever female Chairperson of the EC, Charlotte Osei from 2015 to 2018 delivered a series of elections without major skirmishes while engaging with key political players via the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) and Civil Society Organizers (CSOs).

The sacking of the former Chairperson, Charlotte Osei, and her deputies by Nana Akufo-Addo precipitated the advent of Jean Adukwei Mensah and her current deputies. This particular  EC led by Jean Mensah appears to construe its independence to mean doing whatever it may like whether other key political stakeholders’ views are considered or not.

The leadership style of the current EC Chairperson, Jean Mensah including her deputies, especially Dr. Asare Bossman as well as the Director of Electoral Services, Dr. Serebuor Quaicoe is very concerning to many. The first national election conducted by this EC team culminated in several Presidential results announcements and the killing of innocent Ghanaians during the collation of results in the last 2020 General elections.

Although the EC did not perpetuate the violence itself during the 2020 General elections but rather by the Ghana Police, there was collateral damage caused in the electoral process.

The poor image of this current EC following the 2020 General elections is a cause for worry. The major opposition Party, the NDC had to boycott IPAC meetings due to how this EC boss, Jean Mensah is handling the affairs of this crucially vital governance institution. The ongoing Limited Voter ID Registration exercise by the EC is plagued with avoidable impediments created by the EC’s stance.

A cursory look at the EC’s Constitutional Instrument (CI) 91 on Public Elections (Registration of Voters) Regulations, 2016 suggests the EC is contravening its regulations on public Voter Registration. The C.I. 91 stipulates that in deciding on Registration Centres and electoral areas, the EC ‘shall’ ensure convenience, suitability, and accessibility to interested registrants who are Ghanaians, 18 years of age, and of sound mind.

Therefore, the decision of the EC to limit this Voter ID Registration exercise to only the District capitals is unacceptable and does not promote the democratic credentials of Ghana.

The logistical and financial constraints faced by the teeming young registrants will go a long way to disenfranchise many people and fuel the perception that the EC intends to rig elections for the NPP by frustrating and restricting Ghanaians in this Voter Registration process.

The Director of Electoral Services of the EC, Dr. Serebuor Quaicoe in a Newsfile last weekend provided unconvincing and self-defeating arguments of producing a credible Voters Register while neglecting the need for all qualified young Ghanaians to register and vote in the upcoming crucial District Assembly and 2024 General elections.

The current EC boss, Jean Mensah strongly advocated for a friendly and efficient electoral process to capture potential Voters when she was in the CSO space, specifically at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA). Unfortunately, now, Jean Mensah is acting contrary to what she stood for then!

The EC is a critical independent creature of our Constitution and a key stakeholder when it comes to the conduct of local and national elections. Notwithstanding, the EC is not a direct beneficiary of electoral victory but rather a political party, which convinces the voting Ghanaian public to give them political power to govern the nation for a specified period.

I therefore find it unfathomable why the current EC is simply exhibiting its intransigence in the ongoing Voter ID Registration exercise since the EC is not a direct beneficiary of electoral victory.

The EC should not stand in the way of Ghanaians who will want to change a failing government in 2024 as that will lead to attendant consequences for the ordinary Ghanaian, who is already overburdened in the current living circumstances of the country under this Akufo-Addo-Bawumia-led regime.

In conclusion, the current happenings in Gabon with a Military Coup after the conduct of elections to retain the ousted President Ali Bongo, who was calling for his ‘friends to make noise’ after the Coup is a classical case for Ghana’s EC to take a cue from. The voting day is just a minute part of the electoral chain of events. The electoral processes are way before and equally crucially vital.

The 30-year democracy of Ghana must be jealously protected and not taken for granted by anyone! The intransigence of the current EC boss and her deputies regarding the ongoing Limited Voter ID Registration exercise is unnecessary in my candid view. There is a need to expand the registration centres to accommodate more potentially qualified young voters.