Dr John Osae-Kwapong questioned if internal safeguards at Ghana’s Electoral Commission (EC) can prevent a partisan commissioner from pushing a political party’s interests. His comments came during an interview on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday, October 13, a day after President John Mahama swore in two new EC deputy chairpersons.
President Mahama appointed Dr Joseph Kwaku Asamoah and Emelia Afi Agbenyo as deputy chairpersons on Monday, October 12. They replaced Dr Bossman Eric Asare, who resigned, and Samuel Tettey, who retired. The President tasked the new deputies with maintaining impartiality and restoring public confidence in the EC.
Dr Osae-Kwapong, a fellow at CDD-Ghana, raised concerns about the EC’s ability to restrain openly partisan commissioners. “Are there internal safeguards? Are we so worried that we are thinking one person who is publicly partisan can actually do the bidding of a political party in the midst of six other peers?” he asked.
He suggested that the other commissioners could act as a check on any individual attempting to pursue partisan interests. “I would be less worried if the person doesn’t have the influence to override the rest of the colleagues and push the party’s agenda,” he said.
The former National Security Coordinator also referenced standards set by former President Nana Akufo-Addo for EC commissioners appointed in 2023. He called it the “Akufo-Addo test,” which includes serving with integrity, fairness, professionalism, and independence of mind and judgment. Dr Osae-Kwapong proposed that all appointees be judged against these criteria to determine their suitability.
He also questioned the public’s discomfort with openly partisan appointees compared to those who conceal their political sympathies. “The second point for me then becomes this idea of the open partisan being appointed to an independent constitutional body versus the person who could be just as partisan but is more private about his or her partisanship,” he said.
Dr Osae-Kwapong noted that visible political affiliations cause particular unease when someone joins an independent constitutional body. “It appears that we have a certain level of discomfort in knowing that somebody is openly partisan and being sent to an independent constitutional body,” he added.
The EC has faced scrutiny in the past over perceptions of bias and political interference. The appointments of Dr Asamoah and Agbenyo come at a time when Ghana prepares for elections in the coming years, making the commission’s perceived impartiality a subject of public interest.
Dr Osae-Kwapong’s assessment focused on both the conduct of individual appointees and the capacity of fellow commissioners to check partisan behaviour. He did not indicate whether he believes the current internal safeguards are sufficient but raised the question of their effectiveness in preventing political influence within the EC.
According to Joy Online.
