“The Electoral Commission (EC) must have the capacity to respond to legal challenges. This can be done when it establishes its own Legal Department “Head of Graduate Studies, Institute of Local Government Studies, Dr Eric Oduro Osae has said.
According to him, an in-house Legal Department which understands the operations of the EC better would quickly tackle any legal issue within the context of its administrative and operational process.
Delivering a paper on the theme: “Delayed District Level Election: Constitutional and legal matters arising, and recommendations for reforming Ghana’s elections administration” at a stakeholders review workshop organised by Coalition of Domestic Elections Observers (CODEO) on the 2014/15 District Level Elections in Akosombo, Dr Oduro Osae stated that in-house Legal Department’s duties could be supported with any external solicitor to properly put the ECs case across in all legal suits.
The CODEO post 2014/15 review, chaired by Professor Miranda Greenstreet, CODEO Co-Chair, was intended to draw lessons from the conduct of the elections to help improve the conduct of future elections, as well as to help enhance the participation of marginalized groups and the citizenry in general in local level elections and local governance.
Dr Oduro Osae emphasized the need for the EC to set up the Legal Department in view of recent legal entanglement involving the Commission, since the business of elections was always laden with issues of law.
The EC currently has seven departments: – Elections; Finance; Information Technology; Human Resource and General Services; Research and Monitoring; Training; and Public Affairs.
“I am sure the EC has had its fair share of electoral disputes in almost all the courts in Ghana under Parliamentary and Presidential Elections, which goes to buttress the point for tightening its legal manpower,” he noted.
By:Kasapafmonline.com/Ghana
