The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Mrs Charlotte Kesson-Smith Osei has denied ever trying to run for office as a Parliamentary candidate on the ticket of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).
“I have never run for political office for any party or within any party. Infact I have never been a member of a political party, I’ve never attended a political party meeting, I’m pretty a-political and people who know will tell you.” A few months after Mrs. Osei was appointed by President Mahama as EC boss to replace Dr Afari Gyan, some campaign posters of her contesting as an MP on the ticket of the NDC surfaced on social media
Speaking on the issue in a radio interview on Accra based radio Starr FM on Monday, Mrs Osei said: “it was a lovely surprise to wake up one morning to see my campaign posters and we had quite a good laugh at home. I have a lot of siblings who got it on social media and they were like, oh really, when did this happen?”
Mrs Osei said the picture which was used was taken from the website of a law firm she used to be associated with.
Asked what she made of the said poster she said: “it had the umbrella over me, It was nice, it was a nice poster.”
Asked whether one day she would give it a shot, she said currently, she has no such ambitions.
Mills' criticisms
Mrs Osei revealed that she used to criticise the late President John Mills when he was alive.
According to her, most of her attacks on the late professor bothered on areas of corporate governance.
“He (Mills) was my lecturer at school and so there are times I would draw his attention to something and tell him; sir, this is bad corporate governance. I used to do it to him all the time,” Mrs Osei said.
The EC boss who was first appointed head of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) by the late President said she first declined the offer when it was made to her.
“With the NCCE job, I think he decided that since I criticize him a lot on governance I should go and do it. .
“… My first response when the emissary came to me that the president was considering me for the job; was no! thank you, but later I thought about it said that was rude and not a good response for the president and the emissary agreed, so I informed my family about it and most of them agreed that I take up the job,” she added.
Mrs Osei was the head of the NCCE until her appointment to the EC by President John Mahama in June 2015
Who to vote for
Mrs Osei also indicated that she was undecided as to which party to vote for in 2016, adding that although some colleague in the office were urging her not to vote, she felt it was her civic responsibility to do so.
She suggested that she might take a decision on which side to vote for after studying the manifestos of the various parties.
“I don’t know yet. Yes, I did. My colleagues at the commission feels I don’t have to. It’s a mood thing. I don’t know who I will vote for. I haven’t seen the manifestos yet,” she said.
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