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General News of Sunday, 12 January 2020

Source: mynewsgh.com

EC’s advisory panel lacks expert in technology or logistics – Bright Simons

Bright Simons Bright Simons

Technology innovator and honorary Vice President of policy think-tank, Imani Africa, Bright Simons has revealed that even though 80% of what the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) does involves technology and logistics, the commission appointed no one with a background or expertise on these areas into its 21- member advisory panel it recently inaugurated.

“Ghana’s EC, the body that runs the county’s elections, recently set up a 21-person advisory panel. A full 60% are religious officials. No doubt spiritual leaders are very influential. But 80% of the EC’s job is logistics and tech. Not a single panel member has that background,” Mr Simons lamented in a tweet sighted by MyNewsGh.com

The Electoral Commission (EC) in December last year, inaugurated a 21-member Eminent Advisory Committee to help enhance its engagement and interactions with the public as Ghana inches towards the 2020 general elections.

The committee is being chaired by a former lawyer and judge. The EC declared that its establishment was to, among other things, help simplify works of the commission to the public.

But Mr Simons has pointed out the seeming flaw in the appointment of persons into the committee.

The EC is currently receiving much criticism from a section of the Ghanaian public over its decision to compile a voters’ register ahead of the 2020 general elections worth about GHS400 million.

A demonstration led mainly by the main opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in protest against the compilation of the new register came off in Tamale on Saturday, January 11, 2020.