News:
May 12, 2020
Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu has taken a swipe at the chairperson of the Electoral Commission madam Jean Mensa for running the institution like a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO).
According to him, it is only in Ghana that eight months into an election it is still doubtful which electoral register would be used for the 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.
“I have heard people say the CI is still not ready, there is a CI inforce until the old one is replaced, the CI is good law in Ghana, and a legitimate law in Ghana, and therefore, do you say there is no governing law, governing our elections?”
Mr. Iddrisu addressing a press conference pointed out that the EC is expected to be independent within the remit of Article 45 of the 1992 Constitution, and added that the constitution provides a mandate for a Presidential and Legislative tenure to change every four years.
“Elections ought to be conducted and done by a credible and viable voters’ register which is the responsibility of the Commission, no excuse would be acceptable to us, the fact that it is not ready means somebody is incompetent and somebody is not up to a particular task”.
The Minority Leader noted that if the EC chairperson came to Parliament if she was competent enough she would not have brought two defective Instruments which is defective at law, and the last one, his side would shock the EC when it points out another defect in that instrument.
“I understand the EC chair went to an ECOWAS meeting to say she is preparing for June, I hope she does not come saying filling of nomination should be postponed because she is unable to have a voters register ready for filling for Presidential and Parliamentary candidates”.
In a related development, the Tamale South lawmaker noted that in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, government has decided to provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the EC officials but question if voters do not mater to be provided.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com