Electoral Reforms: NDC Wants Transparent Appointment For EC Chairperson

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) which has been proposing reforms to Ghana’s election management has suggested that the appointment of Commissioners of the Electoral Commission (EC) must be subjected to parliamentary approval.

The NDC believes that this proposal will make the appointment process of the Election Management Board, more transparent than the current practice where the President appoints the Chairpersons of the EC.

This proposal is one of the key ones in the more than 30 proposals that the NDC has tabled and is inviting discussions on.

The NDC thinks that its recommendation for a parliamentary endorsement of chairpersons of the EC will cure the partisan status of the current regime, arguing that representatives of the people must have a hand in the appointment.

According to the NDC, its recommendation is justified because the EC must be truly independent, neutral, credible, transparent and competent.

 “Chairperson of EC as Returning Officer of the presidential election must not be solely appointed by the President, who is often a candidate,” the NDC stated.

The NDC backed its recommendation up further by citing the Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) report that recommended the prior parliamentary approval for the appointment of the EC.

That recommendation in the CRC has been accepted. It is therefore curious that none of the subsequent governments after the erstwhile John Evans Atta Mills governments have adopted it.

Critics believe that these administrations have had no interest in the CRC recommendations because the current mode of appointing an EC boss and other chairpersons gives the President a political advantage.

Currently, the President upon the advice of the Council of State appoints Commissioners of the EC and the other members of the Commission, according to Article 70 (2) of the 1992 Constitution.