Special Aide to former President John Dramani Mahama who doubles as one of the spokespersons for the petitioner in the ongoing 2020 Presidential Election Petition, Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe says it will be in the best interest of the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Jean Mensa to mount the witness box.
According to the lawyer, the Chairperson for the 1st Respondent, Mrs Jean Adukwei Mensa standing in the witness box to be cross-examined by the petitioner will be the only opportunity for Ghanaians to see that her work was done in accordance with the constitutional principles of probity, accountability and transparency.
“The only opportunity that will make Ghanaians see that you have subjected to the principles of probity, accountability and transparency is that you will mount the witness box for cross-examination,” he pointed..
Speaking on Okay FM’s 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning Show, lawyer Edudzi Tamakloe posited that cross-examining the Chairperson of the 1st Respondent will serve as a double-edged sword as in one breath it will enhance the credibility of the Electoral Commission (EC) and in another provide better legitimacy to the person she has declared the winner of the Presidential Election.
He added that Jean Mensa mounting the witness box will rather vindicate the work she has done by convincing everyone that the person she declared the winner of the 2020 Presidential Election won genuinely.
“You cannot come and say that you will not go into the witness box . . . it will clear some doubts surrounding the Presidential Election . . . " he wondered.
Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com
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As far as the EC and its chairperson are concerned, they have fulfilled their constitutional duties by organising the elections and declaring the results according to the law. It is JDM and the NDC party who are positing that the commission's work as above, fails to meet the constitutional threshold. Therefore, it is they and not the EC, that has to prove their case. On the basis of the petition filed and the evidence presented in support of the same, the EC has taken a considered view that you have failed to establish the wrongs you accused the commission of. Thus, they do not wish to be heard in response. It is therefore up to the Supreme Court to adjudge the petitioner's case on its strength/merits. The Supreme Court is not an avenue to press for scrutiny of the EC's work (through cross-examination) unless a basis has been clearly established in the course of the petition. So far, it is obvious that no such case has been made.
The lady Mr. Brew had been AC before and she was supposed to know better in light of the law, especially that guiding the election petition. Because it was revised and instrumented, drawing experiences from 2012-election . And it was during her tenure sa AC. Inneed, to date as it stands, the petitioner had not been able to made his case yet, based on what he sought to really arrive at with the petition. The petioner had awfully failed to adduce evidence by presenting three witnesses without exhibiting material, objective facts which as as stakeholder or a party to the election, has in carbon copies. Erroneously, the petitioner believes he can discredit EC-Boss Mrs Jean Mensa if given the chance to do so in court. So as to establish a contradictory basis to discredit the declaration of the President as the winner of the presidential election. I say with due respect to the petitioner to tell that to the marines.