‘Recipe for disaster’: Lecturer decries posture of EC Chairperson, deputy

A Lecturer at the Wa campus of the University of Development Studies (UDS) Dr Godfred Seidu Jasaw, has said public utterances and conduct of the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission and her deputy spell doom for Ghana’s democracy.

Dr Jasaw, who was once a member of the John Mahama flagbearer campaign, said the posture of Mrs Jean Mensa and Dr Bossman Asare could ruin the peace of the country.

“I was outraged when I heard the Deputy Chairperson for the Commission describe the [opposition National Democratic Congress] NDC as a threat to the country's democracy. In fact, he indicated that ‘The actions of the NDC are gradually becoming a cause to worry for the peace and stability in the country’.

“Such disastrous comments from someone who is supposed to be a Referee, remains distasteful and I think Dr Bossman Asare must purge himself of such controversies, considering the bizarre circumstances under which he and his colleagues were appointed,” Dr Jasaw said in a statement.

EC-NDC brouhaha

The EC and the opposition NDC have been on a consistent collision course in recent times.

Recently, the two institutions clashed over the conduct of the upcoming limited registration exercise at EC’s district offices.

Also, some NDC members have accused the EC Chair and her deputy of pandering to the whims of the government.

Read: Stand-off between EC and NDC: Threat to our democracy?

During an Inter-party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting last week, Jean Mensa and Asiedu Nketia, engaged in an exchange that many has condemned as bad for Ghana’s democracy.

The NDC General Secretary had wanted to know if the Commission has gone to Parliament to seek budgetary appropriation to upgrade some biometric verification machines for the upcoming referendum on the election of district chief executives and district level elections.

Mr Asiedu Nketia also wanted a justification for the EC’s decision to abandon plans to upgrade the verification machines.

The EC Chairperson, however, stated in her reply that the Commission had been dealing with Parliament on the matters raised by Mr Asiedu Nketia but added that “I am not sure that we owe this response to the political parties.” This drew some murmurs from political party representatives at the IPAC meeting held at one of EC’s conference rooms.

While she was still explaining the EC’s position on the questions posed by Mr Asiedu Nketia, the EC Chairperson noted that some people were obstructing her attempt to answer the questions – singling out Mr Asiedu Nketia as one of those persons interrupting her.

The discussion then turned into a brief exchange between the EC Chairperson and the NDC General Secretary.

She accused Mr Asiedu Nketia of laughing while she was talking, Mr Asiedu Nketia, in turn, stated that a simple question like what he had asked did not require the “thesis” from her.

Read: EC Chair needs a ‘bigger heart’ – Analyst advises following IPAC spat

Read Dr Jasaw’s full statement below.

The posture of EC's Jean Mensah, Bossman Asare a recipe for disaster

Considering the strange circumstances under which the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission and her deputies were appointed, many of us expected them to live above the occasion and prove their critics wrong by providing fairgrounds for all stakeholders in our electoral system.

Unfortunately, their public utterances, posture and work so far have not been impressive.

The unfortunate decision to deliberately or otherwise, invite the biggest opposition party in the country, only a few minutes to the start of an IPAC meeting was very shameful and regrettable.

Recent developments at the EC has proven, that the apology rendered to the NDC after that unfortunate incident, was not one that the Chairperson and her deputies drew any lessons from.

I was outraged when I heard the Deputy Chairperson for the Commission describe the NDC as a threat to the country's democracy. In fact, he indicated that " The actions of the NDC are gradually becoming a cause to worry for the peace and stability in the country".

Such disastrous comments from someone who is supposed to be a Referee remains distasteful and I think Dr Bossman Asare must purge himself of such controversies, considering the bizarre circumstances under which he and his colleagues were appointed.

If he continues to act as though his core mandate is to put smiles on the faces of elements in government, he will not only lose any integrity he has but also plunge the country into chaos.

I agree with all those who are strongly against EC's decision to move the limited registration exercise from the electoral areas to the district offices.

I do not know how such an unwise decision will even help the ruling party. A decision to disenfranchise over 1 million eligible voters?

Does the commissioners of the EC, led by Ms Jean Mensah understand their core mandate?

The EC has no excuse not to undertake this exercise at the electoral areas, giving the fact parliament has approved its budget for the exercise.

It will not be in the interest of the country, for the Commissioners to take an entrenched position on this matter, as it has the tendency to ruin the peace we enjoy as a country.

This is the point where we expect the various civil society organizations, the clergy, chiefs and all other relevant stakeholders to speak out.

We must speak against these ills before the irresponsible/political actions of some individuals, plunge this nation into a state of anarchy and despair.

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