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Dr Afari-Gyan Disagrees With NDC On Making IPAC Decisions Binding; Says It’ll Affect EC Independence
Former Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan has said the independence of the EC will be compromised should the decisions of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) is made binding by law.
His comment was in response to a proposal by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to have IPAC backed by law to make its decisions binding. The NDC wants this to be done through an amendment to the Electoral Commission Act, 1993, Act 451, by spelling out its composition and functions.
According to Mr Afari Gyan, the NDC’s proposal will be in contravention of the constitutional provision which guarantees the independence of the Electoral Commission.
“The Constitution clearly says that in doing its work, the EC should not take instructions from any person or body external to the commission. The IPAC is such a body. Accordingly, IPAC decisions cannot be binding on the EC. If they were, it would, in effect, amount to nothing less than meddling with the independence of the commission”, he said to the Daily Graphic.