The chair of Electoral Commission (EC), Jean Mensa is in Parliament to brief the leadership of the House on the draft Constitutional Instrument (CI) on the registration of voters.
The EC’s CI seeks to make the Ghana Card the sole registration document for elections.
Ms Mensa flew from Nigeria over the country’s ongoing election qto appear in the House today Tuesday February 28, 2023.
Last Thursday, the Minority in Parliament objected to the briefing by EC officials as a result of Ms. Mensa’s absence from the Chamber.
Reports were rife that the EC Chairperson, Jean Mensa was in Ghana and had refused to honour an invitation from Parliament disrespecting the august house.
However, the Electoral Commission in response to the claims said the invitation met the absence of the Chairperson.
In a statement the EC said “At the time the Chairperson had travelled to Nigeria at the invitation of ECOWAS/ECONEC for a peer exchange and election observation mission.”
It continued that “The Commission especially its Chairperson understands the importance of the institution of Parliament having worked with Parliament for two decades prior to her appointment as Chairperson of the EC. The Chairperson upholds the institution of Parliament and will therefore not disrespect it in any way.”
“The fact remains that the invitation from Parliament was sent a day before the meeting, at a time when the Chairperson was out of the jurisdiction. Had she been aware of the request prior to her travel, she certainly would have prioritized the meeting and attended upon the Honourable House.”
The EC stressed that the Chairperson, Jean Mensa, is yet to return to Ghana contrary to reports that she had returned from her trip to Nigeria.
Already, Parliament has denied reports that a Constitutional Instrument seeking to make the Ghana Card the sole registration document for elections had been passed.
Earlier, Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, announced that the EC Chairperson, Jean Mensa, will appear before the legislators on Tuesday.
“The EC officials had established contact with the Chairperson, who had agreed to come down for us to have the committee of the whole meeting, but she delayed because the Minority MPs were picking up their parliamentary forms. So on Tuesday, she will appear, and we will continue with the committee of the whole meeting.”
By Vincent Kubi