The Majority Leader in Parliament has revealed a deep-seated mistrust among commissioners at the Electoral Commission (EC), which he says is negatively affecting its operations.

Presenting the 2017 budget of the Electoral Commission for the approval of the house Thursday, Chairman of the Special Budget Committee and Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu recommended to the Chairperson and her commission to be more open and transparent to each other. He is confident this will eradicate the “existing mistrust” and also win the confidence of one another for a harmonious working relationship in the interest of the country.

“Mr. Speaker a general observation from the committee is that the commissioners are not in good terms, it cannot be good for our elections,” he told the house. He cited, for instance, when the commission appeared before the committee and the whereabouts of the chairperson was asked, one of the commissioners told the committee their information is that she was out of the country. “It cannot be good for the image of the commission,” he stressed, “that is why we are saying that they should find a way to resolve the differences among them, ultimately it will impact on the conduct of elections…the Electoral Commission should protect their integrity.”

He further urged the commission to engage in non-election issues now to prevent them from rushing things through when the country decides to hold a referendum on whether or not MMDCEs should be elected.

The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu also called on the Electoral Commission to impose on itself the urgency in the declaration of results and desist from creating unnecessary anxieties whenever it comes to the declaration of results after elections.

Meanwhile, a sum of GHC33,827,268.00 has been approved for the Electoral Commission as its budgetary estimates for the 2017 fiscal year by Parliament.