Professor Ransford Gyampo,
the Director of the Centre for European Studies at the University of Ghana, has
admonished the leadership of the Electoral Commission (EC) to desist from
public interactions which are the preserve of professional communicators.
“The chairperson and her deputies cannot be the
mouthpiece and spokespersons of the commission, telling us the EC chair cannot
rig any election is a no brainer, some of her pronouncements have not enthused
some of us,” he stressed.
Prof. Gyampo’s admonishing comes in the wake of
series of interviews conducted by the Chairperson of the Commission, Jean Mensa,
when she paid courtesy calls on some media establishments.
According to him, “we know Dr Kwadwo Afari Gyan,
former chairman of the commission told us anyone who understands our electoral
processes well, knows not even a father can steal elections for his son, given
the kind of scrutiny and vigilantism that characterises conduct of elections.
“Even if leadership wants to speak, they must
sound sober, tone down and less combative even in the face of partisan
provocation, sounding aggressive and overly defensive will be injurious to the
commission’s expected image as fair, free, transparent and neutral umpire.
“When Charlotte Osei was appointed EC chair, some people either deliberately or ignorantly felt she could rig elections, they did all they could to perpetuate fear that wasn’t well-founded and suspicion in activities of the commission.
“The unfounded fear, paranoia cannot be swept under carpet simply because power is won only to be resuscitated after losing power, we aren’t all stupid, we can read, expose selfishness of politicians, we cannot sing a particular tune to undermine integrity of institutions only to change tune when power is won.
“The tendency frustrates quest to build legitimate and independent institutions, whereas some elements within NDC now fears the EC chair could rig 2020 elections, people in NPP are either not bothered about fear or paranoia, and have firm belief in truism no EC chair can rig any election.
“The tendency of shifting political goal-post, if not deliberately dealt with, will continue to inflict EC with crisis of partial legitimacy deficit it has suffered for over two decades,
expose partisan selfishness, advocate for sobriety in perceptions, the current crop of leadership must also play a role in dealing with partial legitimacy deficit.” -3news.com
