Election Watch Ghana calls for transparent EC appointments
Civil society group Election Watch Ghana has called for sweeping reforms in the appointment of leadership at the Electoral Commission (EC), following the resignation and retirement of some senior officials.
In a statement, the group described the tenure of the outgoing officials as marked by “disappointments, inconsistency and lack of trust from the public" and urged the government to seize the moment to restore confidence in the country’s electoral system.
Election Watch Ghana appealed to the president to appoint a new crop of deputy commissioners who prioritise innovation, efficiency and transparency, stressing the need for a leadership team capable of modernising Ghana’s electoral processes.
According to the group, the next phase of electoral management must embrace technology to improve voting procedures, enhance results transmission, and ensure faster and more credible collation of election outcomes.
“The next Electoral Commission deputy commissioners must leverage modern technologies to streamline voting processes, result transmission and collation to ensure timely and credible elections,” the statement said.
The group, however, strongly opposed any move to elevate current junior officers within the Commission to deputy leadership roles, arguing that they lack the credibility and public trust required for such positions.
“We emphasise that the current junior officers do not possess the requisite credibility and public integrity to assume the leadership role, and Election Watch Ghana will not accept any appointment that promotes them to these positions,” the statement stressed.
It added that Ghanaians deserve a leadership that commands public confidence and can help rebuild trust in the electoral system.
Election Watch Ghana also raised concerns about what it described as the opaque nature of the EC appointment process, particularly the constitutional provision that allows the president to appoint commissioners “in consultation” with the Council of State.
The group argued that, in practice, the President is not bound by the advice of the Council, a situation it said fuels perceptions of partisanship and undermines the independence of the Electoral Commission.
It is therefore calling for a more transparent and inclusive process that places merit and public interest at the centre of appointments.
The group further urged that new appointees must demonstrate the highest levels of integrity, impartiality and professionalism, noting that the credibility of Ghana’s elections depends heavily on the leadership of the commission.
Election Watch Ghana indicated that it will closely monitor the appointment process and hold the incoming deputy commissioners accountable to the public.
The group concluded by stressing the need for transformational leadership within the Electoral Commission, expressing hope that new appointees would work with the current chairperson to restore public confidence in Ghana’s electoral system.
“The people of Ghana expect a transformational leader who will influence the current chair to restore trust in the electoral process,” the statement said, adding that the new leadership must rise to the occasion and serve the nation with distinction.
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