Civil society organisation Election Watch Ghana has called on President John Dramani Mahama to appoint transformational leaders as deputy commissioners of the Electoral Commission (EC), following the resignation and retirement of former officials.
In a statement date Tuesday, June 16, the group described the tenure of the outgoing EC deputy leadership as marked by “disappointments, inconsistency and lack of trust from the public,” and urged the President to ensure that incoming appointees prioritise innovation, efficiency, and transparency.
Election Watch Ghana stressed that the new deputy commissioners must harness modern technologies to streamline voting processes, result transmission, and collation in order to guarantee timely and credible elections.
The organisation was emphatic that current junior officers of the Commission lack the requisite credibility and public integrity to be elevated to leadership positions, warning that it would not accept any appointment that promotes them to those roles.
“The people of Ghana deserve better,” the statement read.
Election Watch Ghana also raised concerns about what it described as the opaque nature of the EC appointment process, noting that while the President is required to consult the Council of State, he is not legally bound by its advice.
The group argued that this arrangement has fuelled perceptions of partisanship and eroded the Commission’s independence.
The organisation is therefore calling for a more transparent and inclusive appointment process that places merit and the public interest at its centre.
“The new appointees must demonstrate the highest standards of integrity, impartiality, and professionalism,” the statement added.
Election Watch Ghana further expressed the expectation that the new deputy commissioners would positively influence the Commission’s current chairperson and help restore public trust in Ghana’s electoral process.
The group pledged to closely monitor the appointment process and hold the incoming deputy leadership accountable to the people of Ghana.