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The Anchoring Democracy Advocacy Movement Ghana (ADAM-Gh), a civil society organisation, has called for the complete overhaul of the Electoral Commission (EC) in order to build public trust in the country’s democratic governance.
Speaking at the press conference in Accra Monday, the Executive Secretary of ADAM-Ghana, Azubila Emmanuel Abdu-Salam said the public trust in the Electoral Commission (EC) had been eroded during the conduct of its Chairperson, Mrs Jean Mensa.
He also refuted claims made by a section of the public that low turnout recorded the during the election was as result of the low participation of members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as he indicated that most people in the strongholds of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) did not vote due to the lack of trust in the EC.
Furthermore, Abdu-Salam said the reasons for the re-collation exercise that was given by the EC Chairperson, including the declaration of parliamentary results under duress by returning officers, could not be justified.
“We have not seen the police arresting anybody from Tema Central or Obuasi East with an offence that they put an electoral commissioner or returning officer under duress. We have not also seen any report from the police district offices that an electoral commissioner was put under duress, and therefore, the culprits have been arrested and were being processed before court,” Abdu-Salam said.
“On what basis then did Mrs Mensah say her staff were put under duress and therefore she is nullifying those results”, Abdu-Salam asked.
According to him, the decision for a re-collation by Mrs Mensah was also against her own stance to refuse Mr Haruna Iddrisu, the Minority leader in parliament, the same request previously.
Abdu-Salam said that such decisions and conducts by Mrs Mensah could serve as a precedent for political parties to appoint their own EC Chairpersons when they win elections.
“Ghana’s democracy is our bragging right, so if we fail to address to face the bull by the horn, we will wake up one day to hear that a President has come to also appoint his party national chairman or chairperson as the electoral commissioner “, Abdu-Salam cautioned.
Abdu-Salam gave the caution as he reflected on the manner in which the former Chairperson of the EC, Mrs Charlotte Osei, was removed from her position and how previous Presidential candidates of the NPP and NDC, worked with Dr Kojo Afari Gyan, also a former Chairman of the EC to ensure successful elections without challenges.
Also, he commended the Vice President and flag bearer of NPP during the presidential elections, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, for conceding defeat before the official declaration of the election result.
The conduct by the EC Chairperson, Abdu-Salam, said, meant she had failed to given to her by the Vice President during his concession speech that she should to ensure that her actions did not create tension after the elections.
He, therefore, called on Mrs Mensah and her deputies to voluntarily resign from their posts, or his outfit would use legitimate means to get them out of office.
Again, Abdu-Salam urged parliament to reconsider the process for the appointment of the Chairperson or Chairman of the EC going forward.
BY BENJAMIN ARCTON-TETTEY AND EMMANUELLA MBAMA AKIMBI
