My wife is fair – IEA founder defends EC boss

The founder of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), Dr Charles Mensa, has rejected accusations that his wife, Jean Mensa, who is the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), is biased.

According to Dr Mensa, the political preference of his wife is unimportant so far as she is fair in the discharge of her duties.

Some critics and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) have said that Mrs Mensa is a notable supporter of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and, thus, rejected her candidature.

But Dr Mensa insists that his wife is competent to execute her role without partiality.

“I ask people when I hear that. When they tell me she is NPP, I say, so what? If she is NDC, so what? Because the question is not whether one is NDC or NPP [but] can one be independent and be fair to all the political parties? I think that is the issue…and that is Jean’s trademark. That is what she has been doing here to a point where the NDC hierarchy felt very comfortable with her,” he told Accra-based Joy FM on Thursday, 4 October 2018.

He said Mrs Mensa sometimes “upset them (NDC) but same thing with the NPP, sometimes they love her and sometimes they don’t”.

The main opposition NDC has accused the president of nominating pro-NPP and anti-NDC people to do a hatchet job for the NPP in the 2020 polls.

Former President John Dramani Mahama himself, on Tuesday, 24 July, described as regrettable, the removal of Mrs Osei and the subsequent nomination of Mrs Mensa as a replacement.

However, Dr Mensa maintains that the allegations have no basis.