Mahama Cannot Impose EC Chair On Ghanaians � Minority Leader

Minority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, has warned that his side Parliament will resist any attempt by the President to foist his crony on Ghanaians as Chairman of the Electoral Commission.

His comments come at a time when President John Dramani Mahama is under extreme pressure from various quarters to name a replacement for the outgoing EC boss, Dr Kwadwo Afari Gyan, only after broad consultations with key stakeholders.

Officials of the President’s Party, the NDC, have however dismissed calls for broader consultation in choosing the next EC Chief, arguing that the suggestions are not constitutional.

Speaking to Journalists in Accra, Mr. Mensah-Bonsu served notice that the Minority Group in Parliament will not sit down and watch the President name his friend as the new EC boss.

The Suame MP, however, did not reveal exactly how his side will seek redress if the President’s nominee does not, in their view, represent a compromise candidate for the EC top job.

“We cannot allow government to put his cronies in the Electoral Commission, in NCCE, even at the Statistical Service and then come out with corrupt figures and the nation bear the brunt like what is happening now,” he queried.

He said Parliament should ensure that the corruption in the system does not happen again.

“The statistical service came out with its statistics that the economy grew by 6.9 percent and the Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Ghana putting their expense together came to challenge it that it was untrue….There is corruption in the system that Parliament should ensure it doesn’t happen.”

He emphasized the need for Parliament to amend the laws to ensure that the President consults Parliament before the Chairman of the Electoral Commission is appointed.

“Now people are talking about the Chairman of the Electoral Commission. The President acts on the advice of the Council of State. Perhaps if we had the referral to Parliament to say that even regardless of the advice of the Council of State, if we had a simple construction to say that the President does it, but he requires may be ¾ of Parliament to approve it, the President will be forced to become more consultative and Parliament should ensure that these laws are amended.”

The Minority Leader also backed calls for Media Foundation for West Africa Boss, Sule Braimah, to be hauled before the Privileges Committee of Parliament over allegations he made recently that Ghanaian MPs demand unlawful payments as precondition to honor invitation to programs.

“It is for him to proof, let us bring him before the committee to testify….”