The feud between the main opposition National Democratic Congress and newly appointed chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Jean Mensa played out in public today.

An Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting scheduled for Wednesday, the first of its kind under the new leadership of the EC was to discuss plans to organise a limited voter registration exercise ahead of the referendum later this year was not attended by the party’s executives.

General Secretary of the party, Johnson Asiedu Nketia says they refused to attend the meeting because they got a late notice.

According to him the invitation for the meeting came at 12:14 pm on Wednesday while the meeting was at 1:00 pm same day.

He explained to Joy News’ Kwesi Parker Wilson that the first notice for the meeting came to him as a text message from the deputy communications director of the EC two days ago.

“The message did not contain any agenda and only stated that it was an emergency meeting,” he noted.

He indicated that per the conventions of IPAC meetings, that was not a proper way to invite the NDC to the meeting.

“So we haven’t been invited,” he stressed.

He also noted that the mode of invitation is a manifestation of the incompetence at the helm of the EC.

 Asiedu Nketia

The NDC vehemently opposed the appointment of Jean Mensa as EC boss after the position became vacant following the impeachment of Charlotte Osei and her two deputies.

Read: ‘Jean Mensa is pro-NPP, anti-NDC’ – Opposition kicks against EC Chair nominee

The party argued that Mrs Mensa displayed bias in her role as head of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA).

The NDC boycotted some programmes organised by the Jean Mensa-led IEA for such bias claims.

The EC had called the meeting to make plans after it announced the roadmap to the referendum to create new regions.

The Commission has set aside September 16 to 25 to conduct limited registration exercise and exhibition of the voters’ register in the concerned areas.

The commission announced that December 27, 2018 has been set for the referendum.

According to the communications director of the Electoral Commission, the limited voters’ registration for the 45 districts in the 6 areas to be carved out will be conducted online.

The EC also noted that the modalities for the referendum will soon be finalised and published and a Legal Instrument (LI) presented to Parliament once it reconvenes.

But the NDC said it could not have shown up at the meeting with the time the invitation came.

Its National Organiser, Kofi Adams said on Joy FM’s Top Story that they didn’t see the meeting as an emergency.

Even if it were, Mr Adams said there are appropriate ways of inviting them to meetings that are deemed emergencies.

“It is unfortunate and the level of incompetence that has been exhibited by this EC is legendary. Never in the history of the working of the EC has political parties received an invitation to an important meeting such as this the way we have received it

“We’ve worked with Dr Afari Gyan, we’ve worked with Madam Charlotte Osei, this has not happened,” he added.