The Electoral Commission has told former President John Mahama point-blank that it does not account to a presidential candidate on its work.
According to the Commission, it will only account directly to the people’s representatives but will respond to concerns that are officially addressed to it.
The EC Deputy Chairman in charge of Corporate Affairs, Dr. Eric Bossman Asare, disclosed this at the Commission’s ‘Let the Citizen know’ encounter on Monday, October 25, 2021.
It came in direct response to Mr. Mahama and the National Democratic Congress’ position that the Commission should have used the instance of the 2020 Election Petition to account for its stewardship.
The party has long held that the Chairman of the Commission, Jean Mensa, is running away from accountability.
Mr. Mahama recently said the inability of Mrs. Mensa to appear before the Supreme Court to defend questions about the 2020 election results was a clear sign that the election was not credible.
But Dr. Bossman Asare says the commission does not owe Mr. Mahama any direct accountability.
“The EC is an institution. For the former president to equate the entire institution to the chairperson is an attempt to malign her and cause disaffection towards her.”
Before the elections, Dr. Bossman said the EC had held meetings with the Special Budget Committee of Parliament in furtherance of accountability “and continue to do so.”
“We account to the good people of Ghana through the special budget committee of Parliament, and we have done so, and we report regularly.”
“We do not account to individuals. We do not account to presidential candidates. The constitution does not permit that,” Dr. Bossman said.
