The Treasurer of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Akane Adams, believes that the three commissioners of the Electoral Commission must not be allowed to preside over the country’s next national elections in 2020.<\/p>\n
According to him, the manner in which the commissioners handled the 2016 polls, especially their relationship with the various political parties and the current fracas between the commissioners, puts the country’s democracy in danger should they be allowed to preside over the 2020 polls.<\/p>\n
[contextly_sidebar id=”NF844Uh3m7HhCJzTbqUDbhMw9aSOfudq”]In a statement copied to citifmonline.com<\/strong>, Adams said “the decision to increase filing fees over 100% in the 2016 elections was a rubber stamp, autocratic and arrogant posture by the EC against the collective objectives of IPAC to allow a level playground for all political parties prior to the 2016 polls. The public pronouncement to disqualify the nominations of some selected political parties even before nominations were opened prior to the 2016 elections, was very immoral and unofficial on the part of the EC Chair.”<\/p>\n Read the full statement below:<\/strong><\/p>\n WE CAN’T TRUST EC COMMISSIONERS AHEAD OF 2020 POLLS.<\/p>\n The conduct, posture and relationship amongst the EC commissioners and towards political parties prior to and after the 2016 elections could be liking to that of an Iraq – Iran war or better still the recent tension between America and North Korea. The electoral commission is the only key and sensitive institutions of state mandated by law to conduct free, fair, peaceful and transparent elections and the citizens expect nothing less, we are therefore not safe if the EC commissioners themselves are not in working harmony and in peace and also lack transparency amongst themselves at the commission.<\/p>\n The decision to increase filing fees over 100% in the 2016 elections was a rubber stamp, autocratic and arrogant posture by the EC against the collective objectives of IPAC to allow a level play ground for all political parties prior to the 2016 polls. The public pronouncement to disqualify the nominations of some selected political parties even before nominations were opened prior to the 2016 elections was very immoral and unofficial on the part of the EC Chair. The public acrimony, fights, accusations and insults against each other by the EC commissioners just after the 2016 polls should be enough for an impeachment!. Indeed, if impeachment is too strong in our ears, then we kindly, humbly and respectfully ask the EC Chair and her deputies to step aside to avert an impeachment!.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n His statement comes to support calls by other Ghanaians who believe the three commissioners should be made to resign or be impeached due to their poor handling of the events before, during and after the December 2016 polls.<\/p>\n Some staff of the EC petitioned President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in July 2017, to remove Mrs. Osei from office over allegations of fraud and financial malfeasance as well as abuse of office.<\/p>\n Some of the allegations involved the unilateral award of contracts by the EC boss in the run-up to the 2016 general election.<\/p>\n The unnamed EC staff, are being represented by Lawyer Maxwell Opoku-Agyemang, against Mrs. Osei.<\/p>\n The petition against her alleged among others the funneling of GH\u00a23.9 million to partition an office, the receipt of a Toyota Land Cruiser from the Mahama government, and the use of about $14 million when the Public Procurement Authority had authorized her to use only $7.5 million.<\/p>\n A\u00a0prima facie<\/strong>\u00a0<\/a>case has since been established against Mr. Osei and her deputies, and\u00a0a five-member committee is to be set up by Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo to probe the allegations.<\/p>\n Charlotte Osei hits back<\/strong><\/p>\n Mrs. Osei also responded by making\u00a0allegations of corruption<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0against her deputies, claiming that she was only being hounded because she sought to introduce systems to curb misuse and mismanagement of resources.<\/p>\n Charlotte Osei\u00a0among others claims<\/a><\/strong>, accused deputy Chairperson of the Commission of\u00a0illegally signing contracts<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0worth over GHC 40 million without her approval.<\/p>\n Fresh impeachment against EC Chair<\/strong><\/p>\n Subsequently, another individual by name\u00a0Douglas Seidu<\/a><\/strong>, a concerned Ghanaian, also petitioned the President in August 2017, seeking the\u00a0removal of the EC Chair<\/a><\/strong>, on grounds of\u00a0 \u201cfinancial misconduct, incompetence, conflict of interest, breaches of the public procurement processes, amongst others. It is an eight-paged petition \u201d according to\u00a0the Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin, who spoke to\u00a0Citi News<\/strong>\u00a0in August.<\/p>\n President Akufo-Addo in accordance with the constitution forwarded both petitions to the Chief Justice to look into the matter.<\/p>\n Suggestions are that both petitions have been consolidated to make the committee\u2019s work easier.<\/p>\n –<\/p>\n By: Jonas Nyabor\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Treasurer of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Akane Adams, believes that the three commissioners of the Electoral Commission must not be allowed to preside over the country’s next national elections in 2020. According to him, the manner in which the commissioners handled the 2016 polls, especially their relationship with the various political parties and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":230700,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[58,11],"tags":[679,680,556,3],"yoast_head":"\n