EC slams Mahama over claims of recruiting NPP members as returning officers
The Electoral Commission (EC) has denied the allegation made by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, regarding the appointment of returning officers for the 2024 election.
Mr Mahama, in an earlier interview at the London School of Economics and Political Science, accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government of playing party politics with the EC.
He claimed that the election management body had requested MPs and DCEs to disclose the names of NPP members during the recruitment of returning officers and their deputies.
However, in a press statement dated April 25, the Deputy Director of Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation, Fred Tetteh, debunked these claims and criticised the former president for condemning a practice he had employed during his term.
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According to the EC, the recruiting process for returning officers and their deputies was conducted fairly and transparently, countering Mahama’s assertions.
“Per the attached public announcement, the Commission invited ALL interested Ghanaians to apply for the positions of Returning Officers and Deputy Returning Officers. The allegation by former President Mahama that Ministers and DCEs were asked “to write the names of party apparatchiks and present them so that they would be appointed as the returning officers” IS NOT TRUE.
“The Commission rejects this unfounded allegation coming from the former President. The process of recruiting Returning Officers and their Deputies was conducted in an open, fair and transparent manner. Following the publication of the vacancy announcement in the Daily Graphic on the 5th of February 2024, the Commission received a total of 20,561 applications.
“An in-house Committee was established to shortlist suitable applicants to be interviewed. For the information of the general public, all successful applicants at the interview have no less than 8 years of working experience with the Commission as Temporal Election Officials.”
The EC is thus urging all stakeholders to approach information dissemination and communication in this election year with accuracy and responsibility.
“As a Commission, we reaffirm our commitment to spearheading transparent, credible, and fair elections – upholding the highest standards of integrity as we commit to protecting the sanctity of Ghana’s electoral process.”
READ THE FULL STATEMENT BELOW:
