Initiate Parliamentary Enquiry into 2020 General elections-ASEPA to Speaker of Parliament
ASEPA is of the view that issues of accountability and oversight go beyond the Jurisdiction of the Courts but falls under the powers of the Legislature.
The Alliance For Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA) is requesting a parliamentary enquiry to be initiated by the Speaker of Parliament into the 2020 General Elections.
According to the Civil Society Group, this falls within the oversight role of Parliament over state institutions. Thus ensuring accountability on the part of the Electoral Commission especially.
“It is in this vein that ASEPA as part of efforts to ensure accountability on the part of the E.C. requests that Mr.Speaker at his instance initiate a Parliamentary Enquiry into the 2020 General Elections as part of Parliament’s oversight role over all state institutions to ensure that the Electoral Commission accounts for its stewardship in the conduct of the General Elections,” it said.
This is contained in a petition by ASEPA dated September 27, 2021, and addressed to the Speaker of Parliament.
Further to the above, ASEPA indicated that the conduct of the 2020 Elections right from the preparations to declaration recorded several fundamental breaches, violations, and discrepancies which consequently brought the 2021 Election petition.
It also noted that even though the apex court gave its landmark ruling in that petition, the Electoral Commission failed to fulfill its responsibility to account to the people of Ghana.
ASEPA is of the view that issues of accountability and oversight go beyond the Jurisdiction of the Courts but falls under the powers of the Legislature.
“Even though the Supreme Court gave its ruling on the Landmark case affirming the final declaration of the Electoral Commission, the Electoral Commission failed to fulfill its primary responsibility of accountability to the people of Ghana at the instance of the Supreme Court,” The petition stated in part.
“In our opinion, the Supreme Court did not err by not allowing the EC Chairperson to be cross-examined because we believe that issues of accountability and oversight are beyond the jurisdiction of the Judiciary but rather falls under the purview of Parliament who has oversight responsibility on all arms of Government and Independent Institutions,” it added.
Moreover, the petition accused the Electoral Commission of violating the ECOWAS protocol on elections (which requires that Electoral Commission of member countries or Governments do not make significant changes to its electoral laws, materials, or processes) by compiling new voters register at all costs of GHC 800 million in less than six months to the conduct of the 2020 General Elections.
It also chastises the Electoral Commission for the non-transparent procurement of hardware and software for the voters register compilation, which is a violation of every principle of transparency required for such procurements.
In conclusion, ASEPA raises the issue of the dwindling public confidence in the Electoral Commission which it believes, threatens the foundation of our Democracy.
“Mr.Speaker, public confidence in the Electoral Commission in its current state leaves much to be desired in a manner that threatens the foundation of our democracy,” it ended.
