Former President John Dramani Mahama
Former President John Dramani Mahama has joined critics who have condemned the impeachment of the Electoral Commissioners and the nominations made to fill the vacancy.
Mr Mahama posted on his Twitter Tuesday, that the “controversy” surrounding the issue has the likelihood to cause problems for the country.
“Current controversy surrounding removal of EC Chair and deputies and subsequent appointment of new commissioners is regrettable and carries a potential to erode Ghana’s democratic credentials,” he wrote.
His comments come at the back of President Nana Akufo-Addo’s nomination of Jean Mensa as the next Electoral Commissioner and Dr Bossman Asare and two others as deputies.
Members of the NDC including National Organiser, Kofi Adams and the South Dayi MP have raised red flags on the duo.
The NDC argues that the dealings of Jean Mensa as head of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) do not convince them of her neutrality.
MP for South Dayi,Rockson Dafeamekpor told Mamavi Owusu Aboagye on the AM Show Tuesday that the NDC’s suspicion of IEA’s bias led them to boycott the Presidential debate organised by the institution.
Mr Dafeamekpor also questioned the neutrality of Head of Political Science Department at the University of Ghana, Dr Bossman Asare; saying that he has made political bias comments in time past.
“…we have overturned public statements attributable to him damming NDC and favouring the NPP,” he said.
The new nominations, some have argued is contrary to the campaign staged by President Akufo-Addo when he was in opposition and Charlotte Osei was appointed
A lot of Civil Society Groups and Mr Akufo-Addo himself asked Mr Mahama then, to engage in broad stakeholder consultation before appointing the referee but Mr Mahama then declined and went ahead with his choice.
Private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu has described President Akufo-Addo’s nomination of Jean Mensa without the broad consultation he asked for in opposition, as “a slap in the face”.
Meanwhile, Editor-In-Chief of the New Crusading Guide Newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako is in the Supreme Court challenging the grounds on which Charlotte Osei was impeached.
Among other reliefs, Mr Baako is seeking a declaration that upon a true and proper construction of Article 146 (1) of the 1992 Constitution, a petition for the removal of the chairperson of the EC, pursuant to the provisions of Article 146, was only valid if such a petition alleged stated misbehaviour or incompetence relating to the performance of the core constitutional functions of the chairperson of the EC.
-Myjoyonline