Nana Akomea opposes Presidential appointments for Electoral Commissioner
Nana Akomea
Nana Akomea, the Chief Executive Officer of the State Transport Corporation (STC), has voiced his opposition to the current practice of the President appointing the Electoral Commissioner.
Read full articleFor many years, the President of Ghana has had the authority to appoint the head of the Electoral Commission, a practice Akomea believes should be reconsidered.
Historically, this process has seen figures such as Charlotte Osei, who was appointed by then-President John Dramani Mahama, become the first female Chair of the Commission from 2015 to 2018.
She oversaw Ghana's 2016 Presidential and Parliamentary elections before being succeeded by Jean Mensa from the Institute of Economic Affairs.
Discussing the issue on Peace FM's morning show "Kokrokoo," Akomea argued for a revision of the law that grants the President this appointment power.
"That law that says a sitting President should appoint the Electoral Commissioner does not help," he stated, highlighting the potential for political conflict inherent in the current system.
Akomea explained that allowing a sitting President to appoint the EC boss can lead to distrust and opposition from the political party not in power.
"If it is in the era of the NPP or NDC and a sitting President is appointing the Electoral Commissioner, why will the NPP or NDC accept the person?" he questioned, suggesting that the law itself creates unnecessary conflict.
In his view, changing this law could help reduce political tension and improve the impartiality of the Electoral Commission.
"The law itself provides conflict," Akomea emphasized, advocating for a more neutral process for selecting the Electoral Commissioner.
Read full article
