Who steps into Afari-Gyan’s shoes as he retires in June? 

The search for who becomes the new Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC) has begun in earnest, as the current Chairman, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, will proceed on his statutory retirement in June.

In line with this, two political parties and a political pressure group have called on the Council of State to engage in broader stakeholder consultations in advising the President on the choice of the next chairman of the commission.

Accordingly, they have appealed to President John Dramani Mahama and the Council of State to ensure that the selection of a new EC boss is done at least in consultation with the political players.

The parties are the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), while the pressure group is Let My Vote Count Alliance (LMVCA).

Relatedly, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has expressed the wish that “we should not turn the appointment of the new EC chair into a partisan battle where the NDC, NPP, PPP or PNC are struggling and fighting to have their favourite”.

With Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan set to reach his retiring age of 70 in June, civil society organisations and political parties have already started the debate within the public space on who takes over from him.

Article 70(2) of the 1992 Constitution maintains: “The President shall, acting on the advice of the Council of State, appoint the Chairman, Deputy Chairmen and other members of the Electoral Commission.”

Having served in his position for over two decades, Dr Afari-Gyan helped the EC to prepare a new Constitutional Instrument (CI) which had been laid before Parliament before the conduct of the botched district-level elections which otherwise would have been  conducted on Tuesday, March 3, 2015.

An action against the EC at the Supreme Court by a Winneba-based fisherman, Benjamin Eyi Mensah, led to the cancellation of the entire process which had gulped GH¢317 million.

Five names have emerged as potential successors to Dr Afari Gyan. 

They are the Chairman of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry that inquired into the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Mr Justice Senyo Dzamefe, who is also a Court of Appeal judge; the Executive Director of the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG), Dr Emmanuel Akwetey; the Deputy Chairman in charge of Operations at the EC, Mr Amadu Sulley, Mrs Georgina Opoku Amankwaa, the current Deputy Commissioner in charge of Administration at the EC and the Executive Director of the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Professor Emmanuel Gyimah-Boadi.

Prof. Gyimah-Boadi, who felt honoured and flattered to have been linked with the position, has, however, said he is not interested in succeeding Dr Afari-Gyan, saying he has a lot on his plate and cannot take up the EC top job.

Daily Graphic