A petition has been submitted to President John Mahama to dismiss Jean Mensa, the chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC).
In addition, the January 27 petition calls for the removal of EC member Dr. Peter Appiahene, Deputy EC Chairs Samuel Tetteh and Dr. Bossman Eric Asare.
A violation of fundamental human rights under Article 42 of the 1992 Constitution is one of the reasons for this petition.
Additionally, it highlights constitutional violations that violate Articles 23 and 296 of the 1992 constitution, including ineptitude, bias, and acts and inactions that erode public trust in the Commission’s impartiality and integrity.
According to the petitioner from the Volta Region, there was a grave breach of citizens’ rights under Article 42 of the 1992 Constitution when voters in the Santrokofi, Akpafu, Likpe, and Lolobi (SALL) districts were denied the opportunity to vote in the 2020 parliamentary elections.
According to the petition, this action may have affected the balance of power in a hung parliament and denied representation to SALL citizens in Parliament.
“For over four years, the people of SALL were deprived of their constitutional right to parliamentary representation, leaving them without a voice in the legislative process. Also, at the time of this deliberate exclusion, the parliamentary composition was a hung parliament. The SALL area’s parliamentary vote was pivotal and could have potentially given the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) a majority.
By disenfranchising these voters, the EC acted in a manner that suggests partisan bias and an attempt to influence the balance of power in Parliament.”
Further accusations include charges of overt partisanship by some commissioners and what the petitioner described as inadequate management during the 2020 elections, including inaccuracies in the outcomes of the presidential election.
“The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, in concert with her deputies, has demonstrated gross incompetence in the performance of her duties. Announcing such a critical decision (Exhibit A) on the eve of an election suggests poor management and a failure to anticipate the impact of the Guan District’s
creation on electoral arrangements.”
The petitioner further accused Dr. Peter Appiahene and Dr. Bossman Asare of undermining the EC’s neutrality by citing their prior remarks and deeds.
“Dr. Bossman Asare, made numerous social media comments on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter before his appointment, displaying overt bias against the opposition party. These statements have raised questions about his impartiality and suitability for the role.”
With thorough exhibits and proof to back up its allegations, the petition urged President Mahama to utilize Article 146 of the Constitution to restore public trust in the electoral process.
The Presidency has not yet provided a statement on the subject. After Charlotte Osei, her predecessor, was dismissed from office, Jean Mensa was named the EC Chairperson on July 23, 2018.
She has overseen two significant elections since taking office. Madam Jean Mensa has been in a similar situation previously. She overcame a petition filed by the Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA) in August 2020, which former President Akufo-Addo rejected.
The EC leader was dismissed because, while not declaring her assets at the time, she did so after being made aware of it in the petition to look into it, which was based on a CHRAJ report that ASEPA mentioned.
Regarding the concerns of the residents of Santrokofi, Akpafu, Lolobi, and Likpe (SALL) in the Oti Region, the Fix the Country Movement pressure group petitioned the former president against the chair in August 2022.
Source: myjoyonline.com