The Electoral Commission(EC) has asked the general public to disregard the purported disrespect to parliament by the EC Boss following her inability to appear before parliament for the committee of the whole meeting.
She is unlikely to appear again in parliament Tuesday for a scheduled meeting as the EC Boss is still out of the country.
The EC Boss and the Executive Secretary of the National Identification Authority, Kenneth Attafuah, were invited to brief the leadership of the House on the draft CI on the registration of voters on Thursday 23rd February 2023.
Due to Madam Mensa’s absence from the House, the Minority in Parliament objected to the briefing by EC officials last Thursday.
Reports were rife that the EC Chairperson, Jean Mensa is in Ghana and has refused to honour an invitation from Parliament disrespecting the august house.
However, the Electoral Commission in response to the claims said, “At the time the Chairperson had travelled to Nigeria at the invitation of ECOWAS/ECONEC for a peer exchange and election observation mission.”
“We wish to state that contrary to the news item that the EC Chair has returned to Ghana, the Chairperson is still in Nigeria. She has not returned to Ghana.
“The Commission especially its Chairperson understands the importance of the institution of Parliament having worked with Parliament for two decades prior to her appointment as Chairperson of the EC. The Chairperson upholds the institution of Parliament and will therefore not disrespect it in any way.
“The fact remains that the invitation from Parliament was sent a day before the meeting, at a time when the Chairperson was out of the jurisdiction. Had she been aware of the request prior to her travel, she certainly would have prioritized the meeting and attended upon the Honorable House.”
Meanwhile, Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, insists that the EC Chairperson, Jean Mensa, will appear before the legislators on Tuesday.
“The EC officials had established contact with the Chairperson, who had agreed to come down for us to have the committee of the whole meeting, but she delayed because the Minority MPs were picking up their parliamentary forms. So on Tuesday, she will appear, and we will continue with the committee of the whole meeting.”
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5 fm
