By Dennis Peprah
Sunyani, (Bono), Oct 15, GNA-The Convention People’s Party (CPP) has re-echoed the need for the nation to make reforms in the 1992 Constitution to strengthen and safeguard the independence, integrity and credibility of the Electoral Commission (EC).
According to the party, the constitutional reforms were required in the supreme interest of the nation.
“From the trajectory we are seeing, successive governments of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) will collapse the nation one day, if we fail to reform the 1992 Constitution”, Mr Ali Dayinday, the Bono Regional Chairman of the CPP indicated.
The CPP’s concerns follow the recent appointments of Mrs Emelia Afi Agbenyo and Dr Joseph Kweku Asamoah, as Deputy Chairpersons of the EC by President John Dramani Mahama.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani, Mr Dayinday explained that reforms in the 1992 constitution were required to ensure that EC appointments were based on merit and rising to the task.
He regretted that the present situation where appointment to the nation’s electoral management body “is influenced party affiliations” undermined the integrity, independence and credibility of the EC.
“That’s why the CPP believes that we have to re-look and make certain reforms in the 1992 constitution so that EC appointments wouldn’t be made by any government in political power”, he explained.
Mr Dayinday suggested that: “The 1992 constitution must ensure that those who have risen to the ranks are given the privilege to those appointments”, saying that doing so would greatly strengthen and guarantee the independence of the EC.
“That is why the CPP is unhappy about the appointment of a known NDC or known NPP affiliate to make the EC independent as it should”, the Regional Chairman added.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Dennis Peprah
Email: [email protected]