Don’t stampede President on who replaces Afari-Gyan — Annor Dompreh
The Eastern Regional Deputy Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Francis Annor Dompreh, has called on stakeholders in the electoral process to hasten slowly on the appointment of a new Electoral Commissioner.
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He said President John Mahama must not be stampeded by political parties but should be allowed to act according to the Constitution, which gives him the mandate to do so.
Background
As the current Chairman, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, proceeds on his statutory retirement this June, the search for who becomes the new Electoral Commission (EC) boss has begun in earnest.
Already, two political parties and a political pressure group have called on the Council of State to engage in broad stakeholder consultations in advising the President on the choice of the next chairman of the commission.
Accordingly, they have appealed to President John Dramani Mahama and the Council of State to ensure that the selection of a new EC boss is done at least in consultation with the political players.
The parties are the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), while the pressure group is Let My Vote Count Alliance (LMVCA).
The National Democratic Congress (NDC), on the other hand, has expressed the wish that “we should not turn the appointment of the new EC chair into a partisan battle where the NDC, NPP, PPP or PNC are struggling and fighting to have their favourite.”
Don’t stampede
"I don't understand why people are stampeding the President because the Constitution is very clear on this; Article 70 (2) says that the President shall, acting on the advice of the Council of State, appoint the Chairman, Deputy Chairmen and other members of the Electoral Commission; so we must allow him to perform his duties," he told the Daily Graphic.
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Mr Annor Dompreh was of the view that the country's democratic dispensation had come a long way so nothing must be done to create doubts in the minds of Ghanaians since it could be a panacea for conflict.
He called on Ghanaians to not politicise the issue of who becomes the next chairman of the EC.
On developments within the party in the region, Mr Annor-Dompreh said the "Agenda 50-50" project was on course as the party was taking measures to ensure that the NDC obtained 50 per cent of votes in the 2016 general election.
He said the party was poised to achieve this target since the voting trend in the 2012 elections showed that it was possible for the NDC to make it.
He, therefore, urged party members to remain focussed by continuing to work hard in the interest of the party.
Mr Annor-Dompreh commended the government for awarding the Suhum-Asamankese road on contract.