The European Union has advised the Ghanaian government to consider broader consultation in appointing the Chairman of the Electoral Commission and other top officials as a way of deepening the democratic dispensation.
A report on the state-owned Daily Graphic on Saturday, 21 September 2019, indicates that the advice was given by the leader of EU Election Follow-up Mission (EFM) to Ghana, Thomas Meszerics. He contended that when broad consultation is made in selecting top officials to the Electoral Commission, it would make the appointed officials acceptable to stakeholders and also boost public confidence in the electoral system.
Article 70 (2) of the 1992 Republican Constitution gives the president power to appoint the Chairman of the EC with consultation from the Council of State.
The comment of the EU EFM leader comes in the wake of the dismissal of the former Chairperson of the EC, Charlotte Osei who was appointed by former President John Dramani Mahama following the retirement of Dr Kwadwo Afari Gyan in 2012.
However, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo dismissed Osei as chairperson in 2018 following allegation brought against her by some anonymous people that she has breached procurement process in securing equipment for the EC. She was replaced by Jean Mensah, former Chief Executive Officer of the Institute of Economic Affairs, a non-governmental organization associated with governance and economic affairs in the country.
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) perceived the removal of Osei as politically motivated and decided not to work with the new chairperson but upon persuasion, they rescinded decision and now working with Mensah to consolidate democratic governance in Ghana.
– APA
