Some political parties say they are surprised at the Electoral Commission’s (EC) U-turn on the controversial Elections Steering Committee for the November polls.
The EC on Saturday issued a statement announcing that the 18-member Steering Committee had not been suspended despite reports on Friday that the work of the committee had been suspended following an Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting that took place over the matter.
After the IPAC meeting with the EC on Friday, the reps of the various political parties who spoke to the media, gave the impression that the commission had suspended the committee over allegations of bias and had promised to look into the issues raised.
At the meeting, the parties also questioned the importance of the committee, adding that the EC failed to provide satisfactory answers about why it insisted on setting up the steering committee.
Speaking to Citi News on the latest development, the Deputy General Secretary of the NPP, Nana Obiri Boahene, said some of the EC staff have clearly outlived their usefulness.
“As the Electoral Commission of Ghana, if you consider the utterances and comments of some of the members, you will know that they have outlived their usefulness.”
A frustrated Boahene said the Commission can decide to handover its entire mandate to the steering committee.
“They can decide to, as it were, hand over all functions of the EC as spelt out in the constitution to the Steering Committee. Who cares?”
He said inasmuch as the NPP had issues with the former EC boss, Dr. Afari Gyan, it is so clear that he performed much better in that capacity than the current EC Chair, Charlotte Osei.
“As for the present EC boss, she is a pale shadow of Dr. Afari Gyan; comparatively, Dr Afari Gyan was better.”
The General Secretary of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Atik Mohammed, in commenting on the EC’s U-turn said the Commission is needlessly complicating the issues at stake.
“Having conceded that they’ve erred, it will be difficult for the Commission to say the committee should continue with its work whilst. I would like to understand what they [EC] meant by saying return to the drawing board.”
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