Private political loyalties deserve scrutiny too in EC appointments – Osae-Kwapong

CDD-Ghana Fellow Dr John Osae-Kwapong has cautioned that appointing openly partisan individuals to the Electoral Commission (EC) will not aid in restoring public trust. Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express, he highlighted that such appointments would only deepen the existing concerns regarding the institution's credibility. "So for an institution that is already struggling in the eyes of the public, you mentioned the Afrobarometer on the question of trust.

I feel like this doesn’t help to restore that kind of trust, that the institution itself really needs to build back up," he stated.

The remarks come after President John Mahama appointed two new EC deputy chairpersons, Dr Joseph Kwaku Asamoah and Emelia Afi Agbenyo, on Monday, October 12. These individuals succeeded Dr Bossman Eric Asare, who resigned, and Samuel Tettey, who retired. In his remarks, President Mahama emphasized the importance of impartiality, transparency, and accountability in strengthening public confidence.

Dr Osae-Kwapong placed this issue within a recurring pattern involving both major political parties. Both the NDC and NPP have opportunities to comment on appointing partisan individuals to certain institutions, yet the cycle appears to persist through rotation and election turnovers. He argued that changes in government have failed to break this practice, as parties tend to fill independent constitutional bodies with their supporters whenever they gain power.

To illustrate the issue, Dr Osae-Kwapong recounted a conversation he had with a partisan friend that same day. His friend suggested that whenever the opportunity arises, parties should pack independent constitutional bodies with partisans. For Dr Osae-Kwapong, meaningful institutional reforms are necessary to break this cycle and address concerns surrounding openly partisan appointments.

Moreover, Dr Osae-Kwapong distinguished between private political preferences and publicly known party affiliations. An appointee might privately support a party, but the public concern arises when an openly partisan individual joins an independent institution already facing credibility issues. His central concern is the EC's need to rebuild public trust, and he believes that appointments raising fresh doubts about its independence will not support this crucial task.