Managing Editor of The Custodian Newspaper, Awudu Mahama, has declared that since the inception of the fourth republic, he has never seen any Electoral Commission as transparent as the current Electoral Commission lead by Jean Mensa.
According to him, while he does not act as the spokesperson of the EC, he cannot help but praise the EC for its good works.
Speaking in the ‘Editors’ Take’ segment of the Happy Morning Show with Samuel Eshun, he noted: “The EC has distinguished itself in the area of transparency. In this fourth republic, I have never seen this level of transparency by any other Electoral Commissioner”.
Awudu mentioned that the EC’s track record in conducting of elections during its administration show how diligent it has been in its work. Exemplifying his point, he made mention of the smooth process of the voters’ register, the referendum for the six new regions, the district assembly elections as well as primaries of political parties.
“Even when others said the EC could not compile a new voter’s register, the EC did it. This same EC conducted district assembly elections peacefully and the NDC claimed they won the district assemblies even though truly it is not partisan. That is their record.
The referendum that we used in creating six regions was conducted by the EC. Even the NDC that was attacking the EC had a successful primaries conducted by the EC. That is the record of the Electoral Commission”, he added.
The Constitution of the Fourth Republic of Ghana provides for an independent Electoral Commission of seven (7) members. The Commission then had Dr K Afari-Djan as its Chairman to be assisted by two Deputies.
After the retirement of Dr. K. Afari-Djan in early 2015, Mrs Charlotte Osei was appointed by the government to be the first female Chairperson of the Electoral Commission.
In July 2018, the President appointed the Executive Director of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA); Mrs Jean Adukwei Mensa as the new Chair of the Electoral Commission.
By: Alberta Dorcas N D Armah
