Parliament sets up committee to investigate district election

Jan 2011
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah

PARLIAMENT has set up a 20-member committee to investigate issues surrounding the difficulties of the Electoral Commission (EC) in conducting the originally announced December 28, 2010 District Assembly and Unit Committee elections.
The ad-hoc committee comprises 10 MPs from each side of the House, with the NDC MP for Garu-Tempane, Mr Dominic Azimbe Azumah, as its chairman and Professor George Yaw Gyan-Baffour, NPP MP for Wenchi as the vice chairman.
Other members of the committee are Alhaji Abukari Sumani (Tamale North); Mrs Juliana Azumah-Mensah (Ho East); Mr Haruna Bayirga (Sissala West); Mr Sampson Ahi (Juabeso); Mr Stephen Kunsu (Kintampo North); Mr Fritz Baffour (Ablekuma South); Alhaji Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak (Asawase); Mr Aquinas Quansah (Mfantseman West) and Mr Joseph Sam Amankwanor (Upper West Akim), all of the NDC.
The NPP MPs in the committee are Mr Joseph Kwaku Nayan, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh (Manhyia), Mr Dominic Nitiwul (Bimbilla), Mr Joe Ghartey (Essikado/Ketan), Mr John Agyabeng (Agona East), Ms Irene Naa Toshie Addo (Tema West), Mr Osei Bonsu Amoah (Aburi-Nsawam) and Mr Godfried Bayon Tangu (Wa East).
The committee is also to investigate any other matters related to the elections and make recommendations to the House to forestall the recurrence of challenges that characterised the recent district level elections in future.
The committee is to report its findings to the House in a month’s time.
The Majority Leader, Mr Cletus Avoka presented the report of the Committee of Selection of the House on behalf of the Speaker, Mrs Joyce Bamford-Addo, who is its chairman.
In his comments, Mr Avoka reiterated that Parliament was not out to investigate the EC but rather issues that led to the postponement of the elections.
Commenting on the report before its approval, the deputy Minority Leader, Mr Ambrose Dery explained that the work of the committee would enhance the country’s credentials as a beacon of democracy.