A civil society organisation in Ghana has called on President John Mahama to dismiss two petitions seeking the removal of the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Jean Mensa, and three other officials.
The Centre for Democracy and Socio-Economic Development (CDS) described the move as potentially damaging to Ghana’s democracy and warned it could set a dangerous precedent of political interference in the country’s electoral processes.
The petitions—filed by a group known as the Positive Transparency and Accountability Movement Ghana and an individual, Daniel Ofosu-Appiah—demand the removal of Mrs Mensa, her two deputies, Dr Bossman Asare and Samuel Tettey, as well as another commissioner, Dr Peter Atuahene.
But in what appears to be a counter-petition, the CDS is urging the president to reject the requests, saying a repeat of the 2017 removal of the then-EC Chairperson and her deputies, widely seen at the time as politically motivated, would harm the Commission’s credibility and independence.
Those calling for the removal of Jean Mensa and her team are drawing inspiration from that unfortunate precedent
– the CDS said.
If this cycle is allowed to continue, it will erode the foundations of Ghana’s Fourth Republic and threaten the independence of the Electoral Commission beyond repair
The group stressed that preserving the autonomy of democratic institutions should take precedence over political considerations.
If this administration dissolves the current Commission, future governments will feel emboldened to do the same, the petition added. “This could ultimately undermine Ghana’s hard-earned democratic stability.”
The CDS warned that accepting the petitions would risk turning the Electoral Commission into an appendage of ruling governments—subject to change after every election—and urged President Mahama to safeguard the institution’s neutrality for the sake of public trust and democratic continuity.
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