Former President Jerry John Rawlings (right) with Jean Mensa – EC Chairperson
CHAIRPERSON OF the Electoral Commission (EC), Jean Mensa, and her deputies have met former President Jerry John Rawlings
The meeting took place on Wednesday, June 26, 2019, at Mr. Rawlings’ Ridge-based Office in Accra.
During the meeting, the former President encouraged the leadership of the Commission to do all they can in their power to maintain the sanctity of the power of the right of choice.
According to him, upholding the sanctity of the process would ensure the stability and the acceptance of any electoral process by winners and losers.
He explained that the sanctity of the right of choice is something that must be preserved, observing that freedom and justice is not abstract but very much related to the sanctity of the right of choice.
Mr. Rawlings was of the view that winners and losers would accept the elections if they know that the process has been carried out with utmost integrity.
He praised Mrs. Mensa, saying she comes from a background of high integrity which should guide and shape her leadership.
According to him, “it is not easy to maintain a high level of integrity because we all know what we have been doing in our home electoral processes within our parties’ structures where money is just used left and right to disenfranchise our own people.”
Flt Lt Rawlings said, ironically the parties tend to demand the highest standards from the Electoral Commission when “some of us have undermined and defiled the sanctity of the process.” He noted that the mass of the people must know the thinking process of the commission members.
Earlier, Mrs. Mensa briefed the former President that the EC’s six-member delegation called on him as part of their desire to bring the Commission closer to stakeholders in order to demystify the electoral processes and exorcise the cloak of secrecy that has shrouded the Commission’s work over time.
Mrs. Mensa observed that “we are mindful of the fact the Commission has been seen by some as some ivory tower far removed from its stakeholders in our nation’s development and as a very influential person in politics and on the globe as a whole, we thought that it was important as a new leadership of the Electoral Commission to visit you and to share with you some of the things we have been working on since we have been in office.”
BY Melvin Tarlue