The Director of Communications for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Yaw Buaben Asamoa, has called on the the National Democratic Congress to apologise to the Electoral Commission.
According to him, the party must issue an apology if they desire to have their proposed electoral reforms attended to.
Mr Asamoa explained that the EC is supposed to implement the reforms proposed. However, the NDC has remained arrogant and aggressive in their addresses to the EC.
“All they have to do is stop being arrogant, go up to the EC, apologise for their conduct and accept that they are going to operate within the remit and realm of the EC. If they have too much pride, they can use the NPP as a surrogate to go and plead and apologise on their behalf.
“We will all go and sit around the table like one big happy family, EC will convene a meeting and we will discuss all the reforms, including what the EC has proposed which they boycotted. You are boycotting the EC who is the driver of reforms and you are sitting on media complaining that the EC hasn’t called you to a meeting”.
Yaw Buaben Asamoa
Subject Chairperson of Electoral Commission to parliamentary approval
On his part, the Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Boamah Otokunor revealed that it will serve the best interest of NPP and NDC if the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC) is subjected to Parliamentary approval.
Also, he explained that, his reason is premised on the fact that both parties have criticized the appointment of Chairpersons of the Electoral Commission.
“The NPP decried the appointment of Charlotte Osei. In fact, they had decried appointment Afari Gyan”.
Peter Boamah Otokunor
Furthermore, Mr Otukunor indicated that his NDC is trying to fix a system which would prevent people in authority from abusing the appointment of the EC. This, he revealed, warranted the proposal of the NDC to have Chairpersons of the EC approved by Parliament after being nominated.
“We [NDC] are saying, let’s tighten the knot so that we will not have the case where in future, we will have another President who will be abusive, authoritarian like President Akufo-Addo. So that, that person will not come and take advantage of the process.
“If you look at the recommendations that we are making, they are just over simplifying the fact that NDC has appointed 2 ECs so they have appointed one. So, it’s 2:1, which certainly goes beyond who appointed ECs and the number of ECs that we have appointed”.
Peter Boamah Otokunor
Additionally, Mr. Otokunor explained that despite President Akufo-Addo following procedure of EC appointment. he reckons that he abused principles. He further noted that this is so because the President appointed someone who had dealings with the NPP.
Also, the he posited that Mrs Jean Mensah who was appointed into office by Akufo-Addo, “has only acted visibly in the interest of the NPP and we have decried the abuse of the status”.
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