Board Chairman of Think-tank Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) Dr Charles Mensah has mounted a spirited defence of his wife and Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC) Jean Mensah whose fitness for the top job has been questioned over claims she’s biased towards the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) which has never hidden its dislike for Madam Jean Mensah and questioned her neutrality while she was even the Executive Director of the IEA, expressed its displeasure after President Akufo Addo appointed her as the EC Chairperson in July 2018.
In a press release issued on July 23, 2018, in Accra, General Secretary of the party, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, said the NDC received news of the nomination of the Executive Director of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) with “shock and disbelief.”
“We are shocked because, until this appointment, the president had given assurance to the nation that the persons to be appointed into the Commission would be persons whose integrity and political neutrality would be above board.
“For President Akufo Addo to proceed contrary to his earlier assurances to appoint a known pro-NPP and an avowed anti NDC person like MRS JEAN MENSA to chair a commission which would organize elections involving the NPP and NDC as the main contenders defies all senses of decency, fairness and justice and amounts to a gross abuse of the discretionary powers of appointment vested in him by the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana,” the release stated.
But speaking to Joy FM’s Kojo Yankson, Dr Charles Mensah stated that her wife’s political preference shouldn’t be cause for concern so long as she’s able to deal fairly with all political parties.
“I ask people when they tell me she is NPP I say so what? if she NDC so what? because the question is not whether one is NPP or NDC. Can one be independent and be fair to all the political parties, I think that’s the issue. Afari Gyan voted, Charlotte voted, the Chief Justice votes, but the question is can you be fair to everybody and that’s Jean’s trademark.
“That’s what she’s been doing here to a point where the hierarchy of the NDC felt very comfortable with her and sometimes she upsets them. Same with the NPP, sometimes they love her sometimes, they don’t.”
credit: myjoyonline.com
