Jean Mensa – EC Chairperson
Perseverance pays. When the National Democratic Congress (NDC) hawks, not the vigilantes, made sorties over the Electoral Commission (EC) with the intention of wearing down the new Chairperson, many wondered what the outcome was going to be.
It has ended well as the
party reversed its strategy with the presentation of an olive branch, as it
were, to the lady who said she did not lose sleep over the threats to make
things difficult for her.
For someone who weathered
the storms of organizing the maiden presidential debate series, enduring
attacks from both ruling and opposition parties, in those moments she, of
course, must have been battle-hardened for her new role.
She should be laughing
last as her PR campaign is creating a new image for the commission. It is no
longer a secret organization with an exaggerated definition of ‘independence.’
We are excited by Jean
Mensa’s PR campaign which has so far taken her to the residence of former
President Jerry John Rawlings, founder of opposition NDC, and very soon to
former President John Dramani Mahama and other stakeholders. She might not have
hired a PR consultant to come out with this ingenuity in a hostile political
environment driven by suspicions. She is just a smart lady applying what she
knows best: knowledge of the political ground and the players and their
demeanours.
She left the Ridge
residence with a bag of plaudits from the man who told those who demand
integrity to come with same or even better. What more could she hope for?
It takes perseverance to
lead an election management body in a political ambience riddled with mischief
and so many so-called experts.
When, however, the person
bestowed with this task is focused, unscathed by sometimes inappropriate remarks
from persons who should know better, the effects of such untruths and warped
analysis, the outcome is the eventual subtle truce originating from the NDC
recently.
We associate ourselves
with the NDC founder in showering commendation on the EC under its new leadership today for the reason that it has
embarked upon a mission of, as the Chairperson said, ‘demystifying the commission’.
The commission in our
estimation should be the last entity to want to cocoon itself. After all, managing
elections is about dealing with voters, the votes they cast to express their
preferences, other stakeholders and transmitting the outcome of the ultimate
which is the results of the polls.
A cocooned organization
will not be able to do the above successfully without raising eyebrows which
characterized the previous administration.
With Jean Mensa’s pedigree and an array of commissioners bereft of integrity blemishes to support her discharge the mandate of the EC, we can discern a bright light at the end of the tunnel and Ghana’s democracy will be the winner.
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