Empowering IPAC Beyond Current State Will Interfere With EC’s Independence - Afari-Gyan

A former Chairman of the Electoral Commission EC, Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, has disagreed with a proposal to make Inter-Party Advisory Committee IPAC a statutory body with its functions also backed by law. According to Afari Gyan, changing IPAC also from a mechanism through which political parties offer suggestions to the

EC to a body whose functions were also backed by law would interfere with the independence of the EC, as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution. Afari Gyan, who was instrumental in the formation of the IPAC, said; 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. His views were contained in a statement he sent detailing his views on some reforms in Ghana’s electoral system proposed by the largest opposition party, the National Democratic Congress NDC. The full statement will be published on the Saturday, October 2, 2021.