For sometime the debate about the appointment of three new commissioners to the Electoral Commission (EC) has intensified with as usual those opposed to President Akufo-Addo accusing him of an attempt to manipulate the outcome of the 2024 elections. So infantile!
The NDC and some civil society groups alleged that two of the commissioners out of the three were too politically exposed to be allowed to occupy a position on the EC.
That is not in doubt and all Ghanaians have accepted the independence of the EC as the election management body.
In fact, the EC has successfully conducted eight elections since 1992 when the constitution came into effect. In all these endeavours, the EC distinguished itself. In scoring the EC very high, we acknowledge that in 2013 and 2021 the NPP and NDC respectively challenged the outcomes of the 2012 and 2020 presidential elections. The fact that the Supreme Court dismissed both actions shows that the EC is on top of its remit.
We are worried that both major political parties, NPP and NDC when in opposition see the EC as their enemy in bed with the governing party to cheat them. Despite the clear evidence to the contrary, we as a people have refused to leave the EC alone to do its work. If that were not the case, will Sammy Gyamfi, a lawyer, make unfounded allegations against the EC that it was in bed with the NPP to engage in untoward behaviour in Assin North?
But can we examine a few personalities who have served on the EC and other constitutional bodies since 1992. In 2015 when Charlotte Osei was appointed as EC Chairperson, the NPP took her to the cleaners accusing the NDC of appointing one of its own to manipulate the elections in 2016 in its favour. Charlotte Osei, it was alleged, contested the NDC parliamentary primaries prior to her appointment and therefore she was unfit to occupy such a position as the referee of the 2016 polls.
But Charlotte Osei had no choice but to declare Nana Akufo-Addo president-elect when the electorate made that decision, although she delayed in making the announcement. Fast forward the NDC raised concerns when Jean Mensa was appointed in 2018. They smeared her as partisan as though she is a founding member of the NPP, and since then have not stopped calling her names.
Even as they called her names, the NDC said in 2020 that despite her posture as an NPP, she will be compelled to declare John Mahama as president-elect when the voters so decide. Sadly enough, the NDC led by Asiedu Nketia could not prove their case in court when given the opportunity to do so. We shall return tomorrow.