FULL TEXT: NDC presents 34 electoral reform proposals to EC
Ghana’s main opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has presented some 34 electoral reform recommendations to the Electoral Commission for consideration.
Last week, the NDC began a series of consultations with various stakeholders on the party’s proposals for electoral reforms.
According to the party, the aftermath of the 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections has left doubts on the minds of many Ghanaians and governance experts about the credibility of Ghana’s current electoral process.
Among its proposals is for the EC Chair and Commissioners to be subjected to parliamentary approval.
The party said the current situation where the President appoints the Commissioners makes the EC appear partisan.
The NDC argues that since the EC Chair has the same ranking as a judge of the Supreme Court, whose appointment requires parliamentary approval, the same principle must apply for the appointment of the EC boss.
The NDC also wants the EC to be split into two separate bodies namely an Office for the Regulation of Political Parties (ORPP), and an Electoral Commission by amending the Political Parties Act, 2000, Act 574.
The NDC also proposed the repeal the requirement for the consent of the Attorney-General to be given before the prosecution of electoral offences.
“AG a partisan political appointee and a member of an incumbent Government. AG faces the difficulty of consenting to the prosecution of such offenders who are very often his/her ministerial colleagues or his/her party supporters and activists,” the NDC justified.
