Current Electoral Commission Lacks Structure - Damoah Agyemang

Former Chief Director of the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana, Mr. Kwame Damoah Agyemang says the measures the Electoral Commissioner, Madam Charlotte Osei is putting in place ahead of the November polls may endanger the elections if caution is not exercise.

According to him, as the Electoral Commissioner is new to the office she occupies, it is disturbing to hear that the EC boss has asked those due for retirement to proceed on leave.

He however wondered the haste with which the Electoral Commissioner asked those with in-depth knowledge about elections to proceed on leave with the barely a year away.

Speaking on what the EC boss should do to ensure a successful general elections Mr. Damoah on Okay Fm’s Ade Akye Abia Morning Show said he does not see any structure in the current Electoral Commission as it was in his era.

He emphatically stated that there should have been directorates meeting with the commissioners to plan a successful election this year; elaborating that the directorates prepare proposal to the Commission for possible implementation.

….there is no clear cut structure in this current Commission. They don’t have the coordinating point; for example, Chief Director or Coordinating Director at the Commission during meetings and so I don’t know how discussions are done to make stakeholders understand the way forward. These are the differences in the Commission,” he indicated.

He therefore insisted that the Steering Committee set up by the Electoral Commission is not necessary, especially with the explanation given that the 18 members have been nominated because officials from their various institutions will be used during the 2016 elections.

If they say they will need teachers and National Service personnel and so representatives from these institutions are needed then, we will need the entire citizens to serve on the committee. What we actually need is a specialized committee comprising people with special knowledge to form the taskforce to advice her,” he averred.