The Electoral Commission (EC) promised to “review the contents” of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) position paper on electoral reforms when it received it back in July contrary to reports that it refused to take it.
The former President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday (17 August) claimed that the EC refused to receive the post-2020 electoral reform proposals submitted by the NDC.
Speaking in an interview on URA Radio in Bolgatanga, Mahama said the commission in refusing to receive the proposals asked the NDC to rather send the proposals to the IPAC. This, the 2020 Presidential Candidate of the NDC said is not practicable.
The EC, he noted, houses the IPAC and can receive the proposals and present them at the next IPAC meeting for consideration.
However, in a letter dated 9 July 2021 and in the possession of Asaase Radio, the EC acknowledged receipt of the proposals and promised to review it.
“I bring you warm greetings from the Electoral Commission and trust that this letter finds you well. I write to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 28 June 2021 with reference under NDC/HQ/69/VOL.2/299 on the above subject.
“The Commission will review the contents of your Position Paper,” the letter signed by Samuel Tettey, deputy chairman operations of the EC said.
Re. Ndc Position Paper on Election Reforms_2 by KM on Scribd
IPAC clarification
As part of their recommendations, the NDC proposed that the selection of the EC chairperson should be done by Parliament instead of an appointment from the President. The party also asked that the commission be divided into two with a responsibility of managing political parties and running elections.
Reacting to the recommendations of the NDC in an exclusive interview with Beatrice Adu on Asaase Radio’s The Big Bulletin, Dr Serebour Quaicoe, the director of electoral service at the EC said: “What I can say is they have written officially to the commission and we have replied officially to them to table their requests at the IPAC meeting so that it will be a decision of IPAC and not a specific party.”
He added: “Monumental decisions like the ones proposed by the NDC can be agreed on and implemented only after there is a consensus on the proposals at the IPAC level.”
Touching on calls for the EC to take charge of security during elections, Dr Quaicoe emphasised that security during elections is not the responsibility of the EC, but the duty of the Ghana Police Service.
“Everybody has a role to play in an election. The IGP is supposed to provide security for elections. So ensuring security during elections is the role of the IGP and not the EC. The Electoral Commission just provides information to the police on when and where their services would be needed.”
Elliot Nuertey
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