Veep heads new Presidential transition team

The Vice President, H.E. Kwesi Bekoe Amissah Arthur has been appointed the head of a 22-member Presidential transition team.

The decision was made by President-elect, H.E. John Drmani Mahama as part of efforts to oversee the smooth transfer of power to the new administration.

The move by the President is in line with the Presidential Transition Act 2012.

The transition is expected to take an inventory of all executive assets during the last presidential term.

On 16 March 2012, Ghana's Parliament approved the Presidential (Transition) Bill, which provides for the appointment of a transitional team made up of representatives, in equal numbers, of the incumbent President and of the person elected as President with the heads of certain public establishments.

Out of this team will be constituted sub teams including an inauguration sub-team, a government machinery sub-team, a presidency sub-team and any other sub teams which the transitional team considers relevant for the performance of the functions of the team.

The function of the transitional team is designed to cover two key subjects which have proven to be controversial in the two precedent setting years, 2001 and 2009.

These are, arrangements for the transfer of political power from the outgoing to the incoming government at the national, regional and district levels as well as the handing over of all official assets and properties, and arrangements to ensure prompt implementation of the decisions on salaries, allowances, facilities, privileges and retiring benefits or awards as determined respectively by the President and Parliament on the basis of the recommendations made by the committee appointed in accordance with article 71 of the constitution.

The acrimony and administrative lapses which characterised the transitions in 2001 and 2009 led to the drafting of the Transitional Bill by the IEA, in collaboration with the Ghana Political Parties Programme.

The President has also designated the advisory council under the act, chaired by the Speaker of Parliament, Hon Joyce Bamford Addo.