Brash, Cocky

What the newly installed Electoral Commission Chief, Charlotte Osei, does not need now is a brash and cocky public relations manager. Facing a high octane challenge posed by a rubbished electoral register and a persistent demand for its replacement including a reform of elections management, she needs a man with a head on his body as an interface between her and fastidious Ghanaians.

An arrogant PR manager who does not weigh what he spews out, especially when the subject is the highly volatile one of electoral reforms, would compound her challenges and not mitigate them.

Starting a stressful assignment such as managing an Afari-Gyan bequeathed Electoral Commission (EC) is one hell of a trouble. The EC, now on her laps, needs an overhaul – something she can only achieve if she does not have the ilk of her PR manager talking down Ghanaians.

Ghanaians are waiting for her response to the demands for reforms and would not brook the kind of insolence being showed by her PR manager.

Charlotte is going to be denied the kind of PR campaign she needs to launch whatever module she has for elections management in the country unless she is ready to play ball and not exaggerate the independence of the EC, which is in place to serve the interest of Ghanaians.

Her PR man, Christian Parry, does not have what it takes to maintain a cordial and mutual understanding between the EC and its publics.

As Charlotte goes through the 'baptism of fire' with the demands of political parties and civil society organisations for much needed reforms in the EC gathering momentum, it is not for Christian Parry to open his mouth so wide to tell Ghanaians that it won't happen.

His, as PR manager, is to manage press releases and perform such functions as may be directed by the EC chair.

This 'We would neither change the voters' register today nor tomorrow' is the highest point in the man's arrogance. Charlotte should call him to order lest she regrets keeping him.

The issue of reforms, especially the voters' register, is beyond Christian Parry. Indeed, when the issue over whether to oblige or decline the demand is debated, he would not be part of it and would only be ordered to issue a press release regarding the outcome.

Ghanaians are justifiably asking for the replacement of the current electoral register – their demand being informed by motley variables. One of them is the copious use of the Supreme Court outlawed National Health Insurance Card driven to acquire the voters' ID card.

Doesn't it stand to reason that if the apex court has outlawed the use of the card for the purpose of registering voters, the register which admitted many health insurance card holders as prerequisite be replaced? Need Ghanaians, represented by the political parties, not ask that the register be replaced?

See why the PR manager of the EC should not be a man who talks before thinking about the fallouts of such brash expressions?