EC Chair Upholds Parliament, Won’t In Anyway Disrespect It; Commission States

The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ghana (ECG), Jean Mensah respects the Parliament of the country, the Commission has said.

In a statement, the EC explained the reason for her absence upon a summon by Parliament last week, a development described as a disrespect to the House.

The Commission in the statement said Mrs Mensah upholds Parliament as an institution and can’t in any way disrespect it.

The Chairperson of the Commission was supposed to appear before the House on Thursday, February 23, 2023, over the new Constitutional Instrument (C.I.) which seeks to make the Ghana Card the sole form of identification for eligible voters who want to get onto the electoral roll.

However, she was represented by Dr Bossman Asare, the Deputy Chair for Corporate Affairs Services.

The Meeting was cancelled after the Minority insisted on meeting the Chairperson in person.

Following this, the Member of Parliament for South Dayi Constituency, Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor, took to his Twitter page to describe the action of the Chairperson as disrespect against Parliament.

He also alleged that the stance of the Minority in cancelling the meeting with the EC had prompted the return of the EC Chair from a trip to Nigeria.

“Yesterday, EC gave 1000 & 1 reasons why Jean Mensa couldn’t be in Parliament to answer questions on her inordinate desire for a new CI. The Minority stood its ground: No Jean Mensa, No meeting. Guess what? She’s been flown in from Abuja. Her disrespect of Parliament has to end”

But the statement from the Commission explained that a letter was received on Wednesday, February 22 inviting her to the House on Thursday.

At the time, Commission said, Mrs Mensah had travelled to Nigeria at the invitation of ECOWAS/ECONEC for a peer exchange and election observation mission.

“The fact remains that the invitation from parliament was sent a day before the meeting, at the time when the Chairperson was out of the jurisdiction. Had she been aware of the request prior to her travel, she certainly would have prioritised the meeting and attended upon the Honourable House”, it said.

On allegations that she had returned to Ghana upon the action of the Minority, the Commission said it is false.

“The chairperson is still in Nigeria. She has not returned to Ghana.”

Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini