The Former Head of Department of the Methodist University’s Political Science Department-Accra has said, the proposed Parliamentary approval of the Electoral Commissioner officials is the step in the right direction.
According to him, the current path of appointing Electoral Commissioners makes it somehow partisan therefore the aforementioned proposal will make it neutral.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC), is proposing the appointment of Commissioners of the Electoral Commission (EC) to be subjected to parliamentary approval.
This is part of the opposition party’s over thirty proposed recommendations for electoral reforms.
The NDC makes a point that the current mode of appointing Chairpersons of the electoral management body and its members appears partisan, arguing that representatives of the people must have a hand in the appointment.
Reacting to this decision on, a Retired Lecturer, Dr. Osei Bonsu believes it is the best way to go.
He said the process if approved will purify the negative impression against appointment of EC officials as they play major role in the steering of the country.
He added that this means will erase the partisan tag of the commission and wins the lost trust of section of the people in the previous years.
“I think it is what the country needs now to bring back the lost faith in our electoral process by section of the people”, he said
Mrs. Jean Mensa was appointed by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. She is the second successive woman to hold the post taking over from Charlotte Osei – the first female occupant of the seat under the 1992 Republican constitution.
President Nana Akufo-Addo in late June 2018 fired Charlotte Osei and her two deputies at the time over “misbehaviour and incompetence.” The president was acting on recommendations from an investigative probe by the Chief Justice.
The statement of nomination signed by Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, Chief of Staff, said the president had sought the advice of his advisory board – the Council of State – in appointing a new EC boss, two deputies and a member of the commission.
The statement continued: “The following persons have, thus, been nominated for appointment by the President to fill these vacancies, subject to the advice of the Council of State:”
1. Mrs. Jean Adukwei Mensa – Chairperson
2. Mr. Samuel Tettey – Deputy Chairperson
3. Dr. Eric Asare Bossman – Deputy Chairperson
4. Ms. Adwoa Asuama Abrefa – Memeber of the Commission.
The nominated EC chair till now was Executive Director of one of Ghana’s biggest policy think-tanks, the Institute of Economic Affairs. As leader of the IEA, she interfaced with most political parties on matters of electoral processes.
She is a lawyer with experience in policy research and advocacy and has worked on a number of politics related legislations – amongst others government committee on affirmative action bill, presidential transition act of 2012 and the revision of the political parties’ bill.
Osei was also a former corporate lawyer, was appointed by former President John Mahama in mid-2015. She successfully supervised a general election in 2016 which was won by Akufo-Addo, then leader of the main opposition.
