The two major political parties in the country, the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), have clashed over the modality for the appointment of the chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC).
While Mr Kwamena Duncan, the Central Regional Secretary of the NPP, contended that the modality for the appointment of the EC boss as it existed now would give advantage to the ruling party, Mr Yaw Asiedu, the Central Regional Director of Elections of the NDC, maintained that the appointment was constitutional and would not be to the advantage of any political party.
NPP
In his line of argument, Mr Duncan suggested the need for Ghanaians to take a second look at how the EC chair was appointed.
In the view of Mr Duncan, “The election is a whole process and we (NPP) have not been pleased with some of the processes in appointing the EC chair.”
He argued that for an electoral participant (the President) to be the one to appoint the EC chair was wrong and needed a second look.
When NDC was in opposition, Mr Duncan said it had several difficulties with Dr Afari Gyan, then chairperson of the EC, and now that NPP is also in opposition it is finding difficulty with the current EC boss, saying “in so doing the Constitution has to be re-looked at by all stakeholders when it comes to the appointment of the EC chair.”
He said identifiable bodies such as the Ghana Bar Association, the Ghana Journalists Association, religious bodies, traditional authorities, the Trades Union Congress and teacher organisations, could all begin the process of identifying suitable nominees or candidates and such names presented to Parliament for further probing after which it could possibly come up with three names from which the President could make the final appointment.
Mr Duncan expressed the belief that through this there would be a broader process of consultation, whose outcome would be accepted by all stakeholders instead of allowing the President to solely appoint the EC chair.
He further opined that election was not an event but a whole process, beginning from the time members of the commission were appointed, various constitutional instruments were passed, ballot papers were printed and discharged among many other processes.
“If at any time these processes are undermined by any individual, it will affect the credibility of the elections,” he stated.
NDC
Mr Asiedu, for his part, countered the proposals by his opponent, saying “there are seven commissioners out of which three were appointment by the NDC and four by the NPP, managing the whole electoral body.
He said the EC chairperson alone could not do anything to undermine the elections
He pleaded that undue focus should not be on the EC chair alone, since there were seven commissioners, and cautioned against personality attacks.
Mr Asiedu wondered whether the argument that the appointment of the EC chair was favouring the ruling party, could also go for the appointment of the Chief Justice, who was appointed under the Kufuor regime.
“Let us look at the whole appointment of the heads of the constitutionally mandated governance body dispassionately and rather help the institutions to be strong in order for them to discharge their independent mandate to the admiration of all,” he said.
<<Print>>