Committee to supervise purchasing of electoral materials

Accra, Sept. 18, GNA - The Government has established a Procurement Committee to supervise the purchase and supply of electoral materials for both the Voters' Registration Exercise and 2004 General Election. These were contained in a letter signed by Mr Paul Ofori Agyiri, Chief Director of Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MOFEP), and sent to the Electoral Commission (EC), the Attorney General's Department and Chief of Staff on September 4, 2003.

The letter said: "Cabinet at its meeting held on Thursday, August 28th approved the establishment of a Procurement Committee to oversee the procurement of supplies and equipment for the 2003 Voters' Registration Exercise and the 2004 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections."

The Committee according to the letter is to be made up of a representative of the EC, who is to chair it, MOFEP, Attorney - Generals' Department and the National Governance Programme at the Office of the Chief of Staff.
The letter directed the agencies to nominate an officer each, who should not be below the rank of a Director, to serve on the Committee. Speaking to the Ghana News Agency, Mr Agyiri explained that the need to appoint the Committee arose because the government was finding it difficult to raise the amounts involved and there was, therefore, the need to regulate the little resources that would come in.
He said the Committee would not interfere with the electoral process in any way, more so since it would be chaired by the EC, adding, " in other words they would only ensure that the money is judiciously applied, it is not intended to take control of the electoral process". A source at the EC had expressed utter surprise at the Government's intentions and had told the GNA that the establishment of the Committee was "a clear violation of Article 46 of the 1992 Constitution.
Which reads: "Except as provided in this Constitution or in any other law not inconsistent with this Constitution, in the performance of its functions, the Electoral Commission, shall not be subject to the direction or control of any person or authority."
The Source had said the Commission would resist any attempt to control and infiltrate into its constitutionally mandated operations. She said the independence of the Commission must be maintained without any political undertones so as not to jeopardize the credibility of elections in the country.