Former Chairman of Ghana's Electoral Commission, Dr. Kwadwo Afari Gyan, has emphasized the significance of the Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) in bolstering political parties' involvement in electoral processes, thereby ensuring fair and credible elections in the country.

In 2021, the largest opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), completely withdrew from IPAC. This decision followed a series of boycotts leading up to the 2020 general election, with the NDC accusing the Jean Mensah-led Electoral Commission of displaying bias and disregarding their suggestions and inputs during IPAC meetings.

With the apparent breakdown of IPAC, in 2019, the Electoral Commission launched a 21-member Eminent Advisory Committee (EAC) aimed at improving engagement and interactions between the commission and the public in the lead-up to the 2020 elections.

Speaking on the topic of "Free and Fair Elections" at the 3rd Annual Lawyers Conference of the NDC Lawyers Association in Akosombo, located in the Eastern Region, Dr. Kwadwo Afari Gyan asserted that IPAC is the foremost forum for ensuring the active participation of political parties in electoral processes and decision-making, which in turn enhances the prospects of free and fair elections.

As the country gears up for another critical election, Dr. Afari Gyan, who served as the longest-serving former chairman of Ghana's Electoral Commission, recommended that IPAC be revitalized and made effective once again.

“Under Ghana’s Electoral system, there are many opportunities for political parties to participate in Electoral processes in was that promotes free and fair election. Of singular importance is the inter party advisory committee (IPAC).The IPAC makes is possible for political parties to know and make inputs to the important thing the electoral commission is doing at any point in time”.

Dr. Afari Gyan added “It makes it possible to discuss concerns of the parties and makes it possible to contribute to the making of subsidiary legislation. Indeed in some, the IPAC is the forum for stakeholder dialogue towards achieving common ownership of the electoral system”.

He also called on the government to provide the necessary financial resources to the Electoral Commission (EC) to ensure that the commission doesn't resort to shortcuts in any of its electoral activities.

However, former Director of Elections, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, believes that Electoral Commissioner Jean Mensah maintains a biased stance, evident in the decision to proceed with a limited registration process at the district level instead of electoral areas. This decision, he argues, could potentially disenfranchise many eligible voters.

He urged concerned and responsible Ghanaians to voice their concerns regarding the EC's actions to prevent potential consequences, especially at a time when the geopolitical environment in West Africa is becoming increasingly vulnerable to political instability.

“On countless occasions we made what we considered to be valuable inputs. Sometimes supported by the other side. I can cite so many cases for example the last registration exercise before 2020 election. We are going into an election can we consider to go back only for the EC to display such behavior to other minority parties. The very reasons we left they have been fed with same medicine”.

He said the NDC is not the problem in the impasse, but the EC.

“The problem is not us. The problem is the attitude, stance and Posturing of the Electoral Commission. Why do we go to IPAC? We go to IPAC so that we can make inputs. It doesn’t mean that whatever we say should be taken hook line and sinker. There is history of IPAC, suggestions are made, it  is shaped it is agreed and disagreed but we reach consensus this has been the tradition since 1993. What is it about this current EC that they will not take any input irrespective of how sanguine it is,“ Elvis Afriyie Ankrah  lamented.