Civic group Election Watch Ghana has called for constitutional and legal reforms to strengthen the independence, impartiality and credibility of the Electoral Commission (EC), following the appointment and inauguration of its new Deputy Chairpersons, Dr Joseph Kwaku Asamoah and Emelia Afi Agbenyo.
In a statement dated October 14, 2026, the organisation congratulated the two officials on their appointments but said the process for selecting members of the Commission should be reviewed to promote transparency, merit and broader stakeholder consultation.
It said recurring public concerns about the actual or perceived political affiliations of individuals appointed to the Commission highlighted the need to strengthen the existing appointment framework.
“While political affiliation alone does not determine an individual’s ability to serve impartially, the appointment process must inspire public confidence and minimise the risk or perception of partisan influence,” the statement said.
The organisation urged the President, Parliament, political parties, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to support constitutional amendments that would provide stronger safeguards for the Commission’s independence.
Election Watch Ghana also commended the President for promoting women’s representation in leadership and national decision-making, expressing hope that the new Deputy Chairpersons would demonstrate professionalism, integrity and commitment to national service.
On the technical requirements of election management, the organisation said greater emphasis could have been placed on demonstrable expertise in information technology, electoral systems, cybersecurity and election operations during the selection process.
It encouraged the new officials to pursue professional development in areas including election technology, database management, electronic results management, data integrity and digital systems administration.
According to the organisation, these skills would support the modernisation and oversight of the EC’s technological systems, particularly those used for voter registration, results collation, transmission, verification and reporting.
It further called on the Commission to subject its electoral technologies to rigorous testing and appropriate independent audits, with safeguards against errors, manipulation, cyberattacks and unauthorised access.
The statement said such measures were necessary to ensure that election results remained secure, transparent and verifiable.
Election Watch Ghana also urged the new Deputy Chairpersons to discharge their duties without political interference and to maintain constructive engagement with political parties, civil society organisations, election observers, the media and the electorate.
It said their responsibilities should be guided by the Constitution, electoral laws and the interests of the Ghanaian people.
The organisation reaffirmed its commitment to independently monitoring the Commission’s performance and engaging with it in support of credible elections and democratic accountability.
