I'm not 'in bed' with Akufo-Addo - EC boss

The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Mrs Jean Mensa says it is impossible for the commission to rig elections in favour of any of any party in the December 7 polls.

The EC boss speaking at a training programme for journalists organised by the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) on Tuesday, (November 24, 2020), dismissed claims that she intends to rig the presidential election for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

She said since her appointment as chairperson of the EC, she has met with President Akufo-Addo twice and they were all official meetings.

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She is quoted by 'Graphiconline' tp have said:

"To the question of being in bed with the government, I'm sure I would have two children by now, because its been two years... But I think transparency, transparency, transparency and that is why we tried our best to open up everything and therefore even if the President was your uncle, or your father, there is nothing, absolutely nothing you can do," Mrs Mensa said.

"And for your attention, since our appointment as the chair and deputies, or maybe I should speak for myself, I have met the President [Akufo-Addo] on two occasions only and those have been official and have been attended by all the commission members, two occasions only."

"And so come Election Day, we know that the process cannot be even more open, everybody checks what goes on and it is done in the full glare of the public, the counting from the beginning to the end.

"As we speak we are just closing activities at the printing houses, and we also provide [political] parties with notices and its schedule and they have 24 hour watch at the printing houses together with the EC staff and security agencies, 24 hour watch, so this is the extent."

"Come Election Day, we all know ballot [boxes] are opaque, we open them up and turn them over, and everybody watches, you can choose to stay around and watch everything, counting is done in full glare of the public and the results announced there.

In the case of the presidential announced, in the case of parliamentary, declared at the constituency [level]. At what point can the EC rig an election is the question I will like to know. Even if the President was your father, throughout this chain, it is so transparent and so please lets be mindful when our politicians come to muddy the waters, when they try to cause unrest.

"Because they will leave us, you and I here, and they will leave. Believe you, me, many of their [politicians] families will travel out of the country, right after voting that same night and sit in London and receive the results," Mrs Mensa said.