The Positive Transparency and Accountability Movement-Africa (PTAAM-Africa), a civil society organisation, has formally petitioned President John Dramani Mahama to remove the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Mrs. Jean Mensa, and her deputies.
Filed under Article 146 of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, the petition outlines allegations of financial mismanagement, constitutional breaches, and misconduct that undermine the credibility of Ghana’s electoral process.
PTAAM-Africa argues that the procurement of a new biometric voter device and the compilation of a new voter register before the 2020 general elections incurred unnecessary financial losses amounting to millions of taxpayer dollars.
These resources, they contend, could have been redirected to address pressing national needs, as the existing voter register and devices were deemed functional.
The petition further accuses the EC leadership of exacerbating public distrust through their handling of the 2020 elections.
The decision to conduct a voter registration exercise during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic endangered millions of lives and disregarded advice from key stakeholders.
Additionally, inconsistencies in the presidential election results and alleged political bias in appointments within the commission have cast doubt on the integrity of the EC.
PTAAM-Africa urges swift action to restore public trust, calling the removal of Mrs. Jean Mensa and her deputies a vital step in ensuring free, fair, and transparent elections.
Source: myghanadaily
