America Authorities, seems to have put the managers of Ghana’s impending elections in a decent nook, with the announcement that particular people who can be chargeable for undermining the nation’s democracy, face visa restrictions along with their rapid members of the family.
This warning issued by Antony J. Blinken, the US Secretary of State by means of a press launch, comes because the Electoral Fee’s chairperson and deputies, have confronted incessant accusations from the opposition Nationwide Democratic Congress (NDC) of scheming to rig the election for the ruling New Patriotic Get together (NPP).
The NDC, except for mentioning the names of Jean Mensa and Bossman Asare, referencing their earlier roles and what they perceived have been politically biased remarks as head of a think-tank; the Institute of Financial Affairs (IEA) and head of the Political Science Division of the College of Ghana respectively, have been cited to help claims that they might not be fair-minded.
Mentions have additionally been manufactured from their mathematical error on the 2020 presidential elections and the EC boss’ refusal to enter the witness field through the Election Petition listening to on the Supreme Courtroom to talk to her many conflicting numbers, which have been variously amended, as her lack of competence.
Moreover, there have been some employments, appointments, and adjustments, which the NDC has usually maintained as a manifestation of how sympathizers of the ruling NPP, have been despatched to the Fee primarily towards election manipulation.
Samuel Tettey, Deputy Chairman of Operations and Dr Serebour Quaicoe, the Director of Electoral Providers, have additionally been on the radar of the NDC as a part of the NPP rigging equipment, whereas a sure Kwakye, mentioned to be an IT guide, the son of President Akufo-Addo’s late cousin, Yaw Anfo Kwakye, has not been spared both.
Apparently, on Wednesday, April 5, 2023, the Coalition of Home Election Observers (CODEO), STAR Ghana Basis, and Civic Discussion board Initiative (CFI) held a press convention on the Ghana Worldwide Press Middle, and registered their disapproval and opposition to the appointment of Dr Peter Appiahene and Hajia Salima Ahmed Tijani, as members of the EC, and demanded their resignation.
The assertion from america, clarified that its authorities has launched a brand new visa restriction coverage aimed toward particular people chargeable for undermining democracy in Ghana, because the nation prepares for the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for December 7, 2024.
It defined that the coverage, introduced by the U.S. Division of State, will impose visa restrictions on these believed to have engaged in actions that threaten democratic ideas, together with election manipulation, violence, or actions designed to suppress freedoms of affiliation, peaceable meeting, and expression.
“Individuals who undermine democracy in Ghana — together with within the lead-up to, throughout, and following Ghana’s 2024 elections could also be discovered to be ineligible for visas underneath this coverage,” a press assertion issued by Mr Anthony J. Blinken, the US Secretary of State, mentioned.
It mentioned the coverage was not directed on the common Ghanaian public or the Authorities of Ghana, however relatively at people, whose actions compromise the democratic course of, including that “sure members of the family of such individuals may be topic to those restrictions.”
It comes after the NDC’s John Mahama and his occasion chiefs’ assembly with the US embassy and another diplomatic missions in Accra. There have additionally been claims that the Individuals have been concerned in getting the EC to reply to the NDC’s claims of a padded electoral register.
President Akufo-Addo, in accordance with Article 43 (1 and a pair of) of the 1992 Structure, sworn-in the three Rev. Akua Ofori Boateng Salima, Ahmed Tijani, and Dr Peter Appiahene, as members of the EC governing board on Monday, March 20, 2023, and got here underneath hearth.
Certainly, the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Buem constituency and the previous NDC Nationwide Organizer, Kofi Adams, slammed President Nana Akufo-Addo, for appointing identified members of the NPP onto the board of the EC.
He disclosed that Dr Peter Appiahene is an NPP activist who was a patron of the Tertiary Training Scholar Confederacy Community (TESCON) – a college wing of the NPP.
Hajia Salima Ahmed Tijani, Dr Peter Appiahene, and Rev. Akua Ofori Boateng, crammed vacancies created by the sooner retirement of Mrs. Hajia Sa-Adatu Maida, Mr Ebenezer Aggrey-Fynn and Mrs Rebecca Kabukie Adjalo.
“Unhelpfully, the announcement of the brand new appointments was not accompanied by detailed biographical and different background details about every of the appointees. We’re certainly not sure if the Council of State itself was supplied with all the required background info it’s anticipated to have with a purpose to successfully discharge its constitutionally mandated “recommendation” perform in respect of those appointments”, CODEO), STAR Ghana Basis and Civic Discussion board Initiative (CFI) questioned.
They argued that “Significantly the place, as on this occasion, an appointment shouldn’t be topic to vetting and approval by Parliament, we imagine it’s crucial that adequate biographical and different background info on every nominee or appointee be offered to the general public and any related physique by the Appointing Authority”.
“Within the absence of enough official biographical info on the appointees, we too, like the general public and media typically, have been compelled to depend on Web searches, social media, and different unofficial sources to study extra concerning the appointees. That is what we all know to this point about every of the brand new appointees”, they said.
In response to his LinkedIn web page, Dr Peter Appiahene, is an Assistant Professor/Senior Lecturer on the College of Power and Pure Assets, Sunyani, the place he heads the Division of Laptop Science and Informatics1.
From his LinkedIn web page, we additionally study that Dr Appiahene, holds a Ph.D. in Laptop Science, and an MPhil in Info Expertise, each from the Kwame Nkrumah College of Science and Expertise.
Following the announcement of his appointment as a member of the EC, social media postings revealed that Dr Appiahene is an activist of the New Patriotic Get together within the Bono Area.
In a single social media remark from January 2021 headed “DR. APPIAHENE for BONO Area,” Dr Appiahene is featured on an NPP-labelled flyer as one among six prospects for the place of Bono Regional Minister.
The commenter, who put up that put up states that “The Bono Area and the NPP occasion want far more energetic and vibrant management to assist take the Area to the specified objectives” and urges all to “rally behind Dr Peter Appiahene for Bono Regional Minister to realize extra.”
In one other social media video clip that went viral after his appointment, Dr Appiahene, was seen and heard collaborating in a radio program “Anopa Nimdee Adwasuo” on Nimdee FM 95.1 (Sunyani) as a self-identified NPP partisan and activist within the Bono Area and naming one Kwame Baffoe (popularly often known as Abronye DC) as his Chairman.
Predictably, Dr Appiahene’s appointment generated a heated public debate in mainstream and social media. The NDC denounced the appointment, whereas the NPP defended it.
In response to a Graphic On-line report, Madam Hajia Salima Ahmed Tijani (Nee Salima Sani Mahama) is a banker with the Agricultural Growth Financial institution (ADB). She holds a Bachelor of Arts diploma in Built-in Growth Research from the College of Growth Research (UDS) and an MBA in Undertaking Administration (GIMPA) and is presently pursuing an MSc in Finance on the Accra Enterprise College.
Web searches and different social media exchanges because the announcement of her appointment, revealed extra related details about Madam Salima Tijani.
She is claimed to be married to 1 Sheikh T.B Damba, a number one member of the NPP, who was previously the Second Nationwide Vice Chairman of the NPP and served as Ghana’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 2017 to 2021.
Madam Salima Tijani’s mom, Hajia Samata Gifty Bukari, was the primary elected lady First Vice Chairperson of the NPP within the Northern Area.
Her sister Hajia Abibata Shanni Mahama Zakariah, who’s presently the CEO of Microfinance and Loans Centre (MASLOC), contested the 2020 NPP primaries for the Yendi constituency and has already publicly introduced her intention to contest once more for the Yendi seat in 2024.
Madam Salima Ahmed Tijani’s a number of shut familial relationships with main and lively NPP figures increase obvious battle of curiosity issues and, for that matter, a official notion and look of an absence of independence.
The case of Reverend Akua Buabema Ofori-Boateng, is the Director of Programmes for the Anglican Diocese of Accra. A priest, she holds a Bachelor of Science diploma in Engineering Physics from Miami College (Florida, USA), a Grasp of Science diploma in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech (Virginia, USA), and an MBA from Indiana College (Indiana, USA). She additionally earned a Grasp of Arts diploma in Ministry from the Trinity Theological Seminary in Legon, Ghana. As a priest, Rev. Akua Ofori-Boateng serves on the Holy Trinity Cathedral, Accra. She has hosted a gospel discuss present, #995TheWord, on Asaase Radio 99.5 since June 2020. We have now discovered nothing problematic in her background.
However the NDC had contended that she works with Asaase Radio 99.5 owned by Gabby Asare Ochere-Darko, the highly effective cousin of President Nana Akufo-Addo who’s has been nicknamed “The Prime Minister”.
CODEO), STAR Ghana Basis, and Civic Discussion board Initiative (CFI) final 12 months, said that “we’re involved concerning the non-transparent and non-inclusive nature of appointments to key unbiased constitutional our bodies just like the EC. Though the related letter of the Structure is unhelpfully scanty, the spirit of the Structure that underpins these provisions leaves little question that having regard to the capabilities assigned the EC in addition to the Fee’s unbiased character, nonpartisanship, each precise and perceived, is a non-negotiable precept and consideration that should information the Appointing Authority within the choice of the Fee’s members”.
They mentioned “whereas we help requires a constitutional modification to make the method of nomination and appointment to the EC explicitly inclusive and clear, we imagine that there’s room even within the present constitutional association for the method to be inclusive and clear. We suggest that, in filling a emptiness on the EC (and different unbiased constitutional our bodies), the President, performing in his position as Head of State, suggest and make public the names (and biographical info) of candidates to be thought-about by the Council of State. In line with the spirit of his position as Head of State, the President ought to seek the advice of key stakeholders, together with political events represented in Parliament, in developing with the checklist of candidates to be submitted to the Council of State. The Council ought to then invite petitions and different inputs on the proposed people from the general public as a part of a means of vetting and shortlisting the candidates”.
“The Council of State would then shortlist and rank the ultimate candidates and make acceptable suggestions to the President. In an amended constitutional course of, the nominee needs to be required to obtain the approval of Parliament previous to their appointment by the President. What we want to emphasize right here is that nothing concerning the present constitutional provision and association referring to the EC requires or excuses the appointment of partisans and different unsuitable individuals to membership of the EC”.
“We’re painfully conscious that voluntary or constitutionally-grounded revocation of those unlucky and democratically problematic EC appointments by the President is extraordinarily unlikely.
Nevertheless, nothing stops the affected appointees, particularly Dr. Peter Appiahene and Hajia Salima Ahmed Tijani, from voluntarily and honourably resigning from membership of the EC. This will likely be within the supreme curiosity of our nation’s continued democratic progress, election peace and credibility, and certainly the general nationwide curiosity.
Whereas each Dr Appiahene and Madam Salima Ahmed Tijani meet the generic benchmark qualification stipulated underneath Article 44(1) (that’s, the identical qualification one should fulfill to be a Member of Parliament), we imagine strongly that, having regard to the unbiased and nonpartisan nature of our Electoral Fee and its mandate, the spirit of the Structure calls for much more in the way in which of 1’s suitability to be a member of the EC”.
“We accordingly name on Dr Peter Appiahene and Hajia Salima Ahmed Tijani to do the honourable factor and resign” CODEO), STAR Ghana Basis, and Civic Discussion board Initiative (CFI) mentioned.
They argued that “Elections are an indispensable anchor of our democracy. Elections run by Election Administration Our bodies that endure from a belief or credibility disaster have a tendency to provide not simply divisive and doubtlessly destabilizing election outcomes, in addition they produce governments with low ranges of legitimacy and an embittered and polarized politics and society, all of which make the enterprise of governing and constructing nationwide unity within the post-election interval robust and tough. Already, as Afrobarometer knowledge have proven, belief in our EC has been on the decline lately”.
“To ensure that residents to proceed to belief the EC, the credibility and independence of the EC, together with, importantly, the looks of partisan neutrality, are paramount and should be safeguarded. It’s in opposition to this background that now we have over time constantly advocated for a clear and inclusive course of for appointing individuals to fill vacancies on the EC”.
“The appointment to the EC of people identified or broadly perceived to be partisan or party-biased can solely deepen public distrust within the EC. We imagine strongly that the resignations of Dr Peter Appiahene and Salima Ahmed Tijani are a essential step in efforts to rebuild belief and confidence within the EC and, thereby, assure the peace of our elections, and the effectiveness of the Fee within the discharge of its extraordinarily necessary nationwide mandate”.
