The Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) has called for a comprehensive redress at the Electoral Commission (EC), following the removal of the Chairperson, Charlotte Osei, and her two deputies.
According to the civil society advocacy group, the protracted confusion and infighting amongst the leadership of the Commission leading to the impeachment process and the outcome has exposed serious governance and management deficits at the EC that require comprehensive reforms and must be addressed if the EC is to play its constitutional role effectively.
In a press statement, CDD-Ghana noted that progress had been made in bringing some finality to the matter. The group is certain that the news of the removal of the three EC bosses will result in some disquiet among the public particularly election stakeholders.
Mrs. Charlotte Osei and her two deputies, Amadu Sulley, and Georgina Opoku-Amankwah, were on Thursday fired by the President upon the recommendation of a committee set up by the Chief Justice to investigate allegations of misconduct and incompetence pursuant to article 146.
The committee’s report indicated that the former EC boss blatantly breached procurement laws in the award of several contracts in her three-year period at the helm of affairs prior to the 2016 election.
Excerpts of the committee’s report say the committee investigated six separate allegations of various procurement breaches for which prima facie case was established against Mrs. Charlotte Osei.
Following the removal of the three, CDD-Ghana in a statement expressed concern about the implications of the removal on the governance structure of the EC in the short-term, especially with the EC saddled with upcoming electoral activities.
The statement therefore called for a comprehensive redress at the EC to enable it perform its constitutional duties.
It also called for the full findings of the Chief Justice committee to be made public to help address public anxiety and promote knowledge as well as understanding of the decision of the committee.
The statement further called on the President to “ensure that the processes leading to the replacement of the removed officials are informed by broad consultations to help restore confidence in the leadership of the Commission and the institution itself”.
It also called on all political parties and other election stakeholders to work together peacefully to manage any concerns raised in accordance with law and democratic practice.
Background
The Chairperson of the EC and her two deputies were removed from their post last Thursday following the recommendation by a committee set up by the Chief Justice to investigate some serious allegations and counter allegations made against the three.
Following the removal of the three EC bosses, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) under whose tenure all the three officers were elevated to their respective positions is crying foul, claiming the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration was targeting Charlotte Osei in order to rig the 2020 general elections.
However, President Akufo-Addo has said the decision to remove the Chairperson and her two deputies from office was not borne out of hatred.
He said he only acted on the recommendations of the committee set up by the Chief Justice to investigate complaints against the sacked EC boss and her two deputies, Amadu Sulley, in-charge of Operations, and Georgina Opoku-Amankwa, in-charge of Corporate Services.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak