Jean Mensa
The Electoral Commission (EC) has rejected claim that the Chairperson of the Commission, Jean Mensa has refused to brief the House on proposed Constitutional Instrument (CI) that is seeking to make the Ghana Card the sole identification document for voter registration
According to the Commission, the invitation from Parliament to the Chairperson of the Commission, met the absence of the Commissioner who traveled day before the scheduled date for the meeting.
The EC explained further that at the time the Commission received the invitation letter, Mrs Jean Mensa had travelled out of the jurisdiction.
This allegations came after the Minority caucus in Parliament on Thursday, February 23 rejected officials from the EC and the National Identification (NIA) who were in Parliament to brief the House on the proposed CI.
They want Madam Jean Mensa herself to appear before the House and response to issues against the proposed CI.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for South Dayi accused Mrs Jean Mensa of disrespecting towards the work of Parliament, saying that the Minority lawmakers were not prepared to accept ” the disrespect” of the EC Chair towards Parliament.
“Yesterday, EC gave 1000 & 1 reasons why Jean Mensa couldn’t be in Parliament to answer questions on her inordinate desire for a new CI.
“The Minority stood its grounds: No Jean Mensa, No meeting. Guess what? She’s been flown in from Abuja. Her disrespect of Parliament has to end,” he tweeted.
However, the EC in a statement issued on Monday, February 27 indicated that “The EC received a letter from Parliament on Wednesday, February 22, 2023 inviting the Commission to brief the leadership of the House on the draft CI on the registration of voters on Thursday 23 February 2024.
“At the time the chairperson had traveled to Nigeria at the invitation of ECOWAS/ECONEC for a peer exchange and election observation mission. That notwithstanding Dr Bossman Asare Deputy Chair for Corporate Service attended the meeting together with other directors of the commission.
“Surprisingly, the meeting was canceled as the Minority side insisted on the presence of the EC Chairperson at the meeting. We wish to state that contrary to the news item that the EC chair has returned to Ghana, the chairperson is still in Nigeria. She has not returned to Ghana.
“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 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.”
By Vincent Kubi