Catholic Bishops advocate reconstituting Electoral Commission appointment frameworks

The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) wants changes to the Electoral Commission’s (EC) appointment process. They believe this will help ensure its independence.

Reverend Matthew Gyamfi, the GCBC President and Bishop of Sunyani, made this request during a visit to President John Dramani Mahama in Accra. The bishops congratulated the President on his victory in the December 7, 2024 election. They also raised several national issues for his attention, including illegal mining and educational reform.

Rev Gyamfi called for reforms in electoral security protocols. He suggested creating an independent commission for democratic integrity with prosecutorial powers. He also proposed institutionalizing a civil service charter to protect public servants.

Additionally, he recommended establishing a biennial inter-party forum led by faith-based and traditional authorities. Rev Gyamfi informed the President that the bishops had just returned from a meeting in Dakar, Senegal. This meeting included Catholic Bishops from West Africa, including Mali and Burkina Faso.

He noted that they discussed concerns about disillusionment among people in their region and country. Trust in democratic institutions is declining, he said. Electoral participation dropped from 85 percent in 2016 to 60.9 percent in 2024.

This decline indicates growing disengagement among voters, especially youth. Many young Ghanaians feel politics does not lead to real change. Rev Gyamfi emphasized that perceptions of politics as transactional must be addressed.

“We must make democracy work consistently,” he stated. He highlighted challenges of national unity and increasing political polarization. Mistrust exists along ethnic, regional, and partisan lines.

Land disputes and electoral violence continue to be issues in Ghana's democracy. Despite successfully conducting nine elections since 1992, electoral violence remains common during elections and by-elections.

Rev Gyamfi cited a CDD Ghana report showing 76 incidents during the 2024 election. These included vandalism of public facilities and injuries resulting in six deaths.

He mentioned allegations of political vindictiveness against successive regimes over the past 32 years. The bishops urged President Mahama to use his mandate wisely due to strong public support for him and his party's control of Parliament.

They called for rationalizing Article 71 payments linked to national equity. The Government should prioritize labor-absorbing infrastructure projects and expand programs like Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP).

Rev Gyamfi stressed the need for closer collaboration between church and state on civic education initiatives. By promoting participatory governance values, they can rebuild public trust in democracy.

“As shepherds of souls, we guide rather than govern,” Rev Gyamfi said. He urged building a politics focused on serving people rather than self-interest or survival of the fittest.