Shut down EC if need be – Gyampo

Political Science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Prof Ransford Gyampo, has said the Electoral Commission should be shut down and overhauled if need be, as part of measures to sanitise the election management body following allegations and counter-allegations between the EC Chair and her deputies as well as some staff.

According to Prof Gyampo, the recriminations are dampening the confidence the general public has in the EC’s ability to organise free, fair and peaceful elections in the future, therefore, the appropriate authorities must step in to deal with the situation swiftly.

For him, if efforts to broker peace between the officials fail, then the commission must be shut down and restructured having in mind constitutional provisions.

Speaking in an interview with Chief Jerry Forson, host of Ghana Yensom on Accra 100.5FM on Monday July 24, Prof Gyampo said: “Listening to what Mrs Osei has said in response, I get the impression that if care is not taken the Commission will not be able to work again, it cannot work again to deliver credible elections.

“I am not calling for the removal of the EC boss but we need to find ways of dealing with the matter and restore peace at the EC. If that does not work, we can close down the entire commission and restructure it, this may be a radical way to go but I will support it.

“It will be better if we closed it down and then consulted extensively having the constitutional provisions in mind in determining a new crop of experienced workers to conduct elections than this current situation. What they are doing at the moment is weakening public confidence in the EC, they are killing Ghana’s democratic credentials and this can compromise our future peace in future elections, and, so, they should sit up and work together. Let me emphasis, if need be the commission should be shut down.”

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