President Akufo-Addo will go down in history as the only President to have appointed politically-exposed persons to the Electoral Commission (EC), Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has said.
Mr Ablakwa said no president in the history of Ghana has done that except Mr Akufo-Addo.
“Do you know the electoral commission is one of the least trusted institutions in this country? Only 10% trust the EC and it’s very worrying,” he said on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday, April 9.
He added “No president in the history of our country has done what President Akufo-Addo has done. No president would’ve had the courage to do this.”
President Akufo-Addo has been criticized by stakeholders following the appointment.
For instance, the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) said nothing stopped the newly appointed Commissioners to the EC from resigning after they were accused of being politically exposed persons.
Addressing a press conference in Accra on Wednesday, a leading member of CODEO, Rev. Dr Fred Degbey said “We are painfully aware that voluntary and constitutionally grounded revocation of these unfortunate and democratically problematic EC appointments by the President is extremely unlikely.
“However, nothing stops the affected appointees, namely Dr Peter Appiahene and Hajia Salima Tijani from voluntarily and honourably resigning from the EC.
This will be in the supreme interest of our country’s continued democratic progress, election peace and credibility and indeed overall national interest.”
Mr Akufo-Addo on Monday, March 20 swore in three new members of the Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC).
The three new members – Dr Peter Appiahene, Madam Salima Ahmed Tijani and Reverend Akua Ofori Boateng – were sworn in at a short ceremony at the Jubilee House.
The President said “I have always fought for and advocated for a credible electoral process in Ghana. In emphasizing the importance of the credibility of elections, it must be pointed out that the counting, collation and declaration of results cannot and should not be more important than the sacred God-given right of the citizen casting his or her ballot.
“I have said it before and I will repeat it, elections are about those who cast their vote, not those who count, not those who supervise, not those who transmit and not those who declare. The heart of the democratic process is giving effect to the choices made by those who cast the votes.”
source: 3news.com
