The General Secretary of the Peoples’ National Convention (PNC), Bernard Mornah says the proposal for Parliament to approve the President’s nominee for the chairmanship of the Electoral Commission (EC) will be a waste of resources.
He is convinced that the partisan nature of Parliament will not allow it to do a thorough job.
“Our Parliament is more than a rubber stamp because over the years, since 1992, whatever the Executive arm of government proposes gets endorsed by Parliament. It is a party trend in Parliament and not a national trend,” he said.
The former Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Professor Mike Oquaye has suggested that the appointment of an EC chairman by the President is a dangerous practice which must be scrapped.
He suggested a majority approval of the EC chairman to uphold the independence of the Electoral Commission.
Speaking in an interview with Citi News, Mr. Mornah said the EC has proven to be competent and independent in its operations, therefore, there is no need to vary the process of appointments.
He maintained that the proposal if endorsed will be “a waste of resources, a waste of our energy…”
In a sharp rebuttal, the General Secretary of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Kofi Asamoah-Siaw endorsed the idea and urged Ghanaians to support it.
Quoting a recommendation given by the Constitutional Review Commission, he stated that in a bid to ensure the chairman of the EC is independent and accepted across the political divide, there should be a two-thirds approval from Parliament.
This, he noted, will make the appointed person not to be seen “in a partisan light depending on which President is appointing him.
The current EC chairman, Dr. Afari Gyan is due for retirement after serving in that position since the Commission was set up in 1992.
Prior to his retirement, there have been a number of suggestions on how the next EC chair should be appointed and the tenure of the appointment.
By: Efua Idan Osam/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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