General News of Wednesday, 17 January 2018

Source: kasapafmonline.com

EC saga: More chaos if Akufo-Addo continues to be sluggish – PPP

Charlotte Osei, Chairperson of Electoral Commission (middle) with two deputy commissioners Charlotte Osei, Chairperson of Electoral Commission (middle) with two deputy commissioners

The Progressive People’s Party(PPP) has underscored the need for all three Commissioners under investigation at the Election Management Body(EMB) to step aside saying there is no guarantee for a credible investigation with the current situation where the other two Commissioners are at post.

The PPP wants President Akufo-Addo to pay heed to its earlier position and invoke article 146 of the Constitution, to
request the three (3) EC Commissioners to step aside until they are cleared of all wrong doing.

“No one should be above the law and no institution should be a bunker immune against the laws of Ghana,” the PPP said in a statement.

Officers from EOCO on Monday stormed the EC offices in an attempt to throw out Georgina Opoku Amankwa after she went to her office to protest delay in investigating her for alleged embezzlement.

The action by the EOCO which many described as illegal triggered chorus of condemnation from a section of the public including the Minority which questioned the legal basis for their intrusion.

But the PPP in its statement signed by the National Secretary, Murtala Mohammed said the standoff could have been avoided if the President had heeded the PPPs call to advise the three Commissioners under investigation by the Chief Justice to step aside for the ongoing investigation to end.

It added:”The current situation where the other two Commissioners under investigation are at post creates an unfair advantage and puts the two at post in a conflict of interest position to temper with evidence and the investigation, as well as disrupt the work of the Commission.”

The PPP has thus called on President Akufo-Addo to take the necessary actions on the EC saga insisting the sluggishness from the Presidency regarding this matter is clear manifestation of leadership weakness.