According to the NDC, Mrs. Jean Mensah is unfit to be EC Chair, insisting she has strong ties with the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has strongly criticized President Akufo-Addo’s decision to nominate Jean Mensa as Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC).
According to the party, Mrs. Jean Mensah is unfit to be EC Chair, insisting she has strong ties with the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
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On Monday, the IEA head was nominated by the President to replace Charlotte Osei, who was recently axed from the post as EC boss.
However, shortly after her nomination, the NDC organised a press conference to register their displeasure with Mrs. Mensa’s nomination.
Addressing journalists, General Secretary of the NDC, Asiedu Nketia, described the nomination as “shocking”, accusing President Akufo-Addo of appointing a politically biased person to head the EC.
“We are shocked because until this appointment, the President had given assurance to the nation that the persons to be appointed into the Commission would be persons whose integrity and political neutrality would be above board,” he lamented.
“For President Akufo-Addo to proceed contrary to his earlier assurances to appoint a known pro-NPP and avowed anti-NDC person like Mrs Jean Mensa to Chair a Commission which would organise elections involving the NPP and NDC as the main contenders, defies all senses of decency, fairness and justice and amount to a gross abuse of the discretionary powers of appointment vested in him by the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana,” Mr. Nketia added.
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Also nominated for consideration as deputies are a political science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr Eric Asare Bossman; Ms Adjoa Esuama Abrefa, a corporate legal practitioner with specialisation in land property acquisition, and Samuel Tettey, Director of Electoral services in charge of elections at the Electoral Commission.
Read the NDC’s full statement below:
NDC DISAPPOINTED AT THE CHOICE OF JEAN MENSAH AS CHAIRPERSON OF THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION
The National Democratic Congress received the news about the appointment of Mrs. Jean Mcnsah as a Chairperson of the Electoral Commission by H. E The President with shock and disbelief.
We are shocked because until this appointment the president had given assurance to the nation that the persons to be appointed Into the Commission would be persons whose integrity and political neutrality would be above board.
For President Akuffo Addo to proceed contrary to his earlier assurances to appoint a known pro-NPP and an-avowed anti-NDC person like MRS. JEAN MENSAH to chair a commission which would organize elections involving the NPP and NDC as the main contenders defies all senses of decency, fairness and justice and amounts to a gross abuse of the discretionary powers of appointment vested in him by the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana.
The Party would in due course provide further and better particulars of the open and covert activities of Jean Mensah which makes her unfit to occupy the high position of Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of the Republic of Ghana.