The National Democratic Party (NDP) has through its lawyers given the Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC) 24 hours to rescind her purported disqualification, and instate the names of the party’s presidential candidate and running mate on the list of candidates for the 2016 Presidential elections.
Lawyers for the former First Lady say the failure of the EC to meet the demands stated above will result in the instituting of legal proceedings against the electoral management body.
Leader of the Party Nana Konadu Agyemang-Rawlings is among twelve-plus-one candidates disqualified by the Commission on various grounds including irregularities and forgery of nomination forms.
It will be the second time the wife of Ghana’s longest serving head of state is being disqualified from standing elections after her forms were rejected in 2012 ahead of that year’s elections.
The forms of NDP’s flagbearer were disqualified by the Commission this time around because one of the subscribers by name Salifu Abdulai, according to Chair Charlotte Osei, had signed as a resident of two districts in the Volta Region and the Central Region.
According to Madam Charlotte Osei, “The Commission is unable to accept Mrs. Rawlings’ nomination because the number of subscribers to her forms did not meet the requirements of Regulation 7 (2) (b) of CI 94. One subscriber on page 89 of her nomination forms is not a validly registered voter, and illegally registered twice and so is on the Exclusion list of multiple voters. Details are Salifu Abdulai District: Nanumba South, Voter ID no: 6617004814 (28.3.2012), Voter ID no: 2126900022 (04.8.2014).” (click to read more)
In a letter to the EC - a copy of which is in the possession of PEACEFMONLINE.COM, - issued through renowned legal practitioner, Ace Ankomah of Bentsi-Enchill, Letsa & Ankomah, the former First Lady said she disagrees with the EC's reason for her disqualification.
"Our clients disagree with you and state that you have no power to proceed in this manner. This is because although section 27 of the Representation of the People Act, 1992 (PNDCL 284) provides that a person who registers twice may be disqualified from voting, there must have been a conviction for the offence, and then a term of imprisonment imposed before a disqualification can take effect. The relevant parts of section 27 provide specifically as follows:
Registration offences
"A person who… having applied to have that person’s name included in a divisional register, without withdrawing the application, applies to have the name included in another divisional register…commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding five hundred penalty units or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding two years or both the fine and the imprisonment, and is disqualified for a period of five years from the date of the expiration of the term of imprisonment, from being registered as a voter or voting at an election (Emphasis added)," portions of the letter read.
Click here to read copy of the letter sent to the EC by NDP's lawyers.
Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/Peacefmonline.com
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Ace, it is your interpretation versus EC's lawyers' interpretation. This is no patapa. You will not succeed. Stop making gidigidi for zero progress. Madam has failed again. Karma is a bit ch
Ace, go after H-A-L*O-T Osei and her group of NDC-sponsored gangsters at the EC.
In fact, those drawing into the conclusion to fault Mrs Rawlings for having failed two times to fill the Nomination Forms should first read carefully her lawyers letter.Indeed, Mrs Rawlings has a case per proceedure law. EC per application of the law shouldn't have rushed in the way she disqualified certain applicants.Indeed, am not a lawyer.Iam through and through a layman in Terms of law.But the EC as a lawyer must know bettel in applying the law to avoid being touted as prejudiced.
I'm disappointed small in Ace. I don't know you that much but I admire you very much from afar. My only disappointment is that I have a feeling this action is just for you to have your legal money. I've been of the view of the opinion that people like you will let money push them around. Anyway, it is good we are seeing it early. By the way the people who have been deleted from the voter's register, were they convicted and imprisoned? #Occupy...
coming news , all opposition parties in must unite, should unite have united to change n,d,c come 2016, from ghana people all over the world, nana addo, 90% and mahama 10%
Simple filling !!! as a party seeking the mandate of Ghanaians to govern and you can not simply file your registration forms correctly for the second time ! You will run Ghana the same way you run 31st December Movement and National Mobilization. Irresponsible and chop chop ! I blame Ghanaians too. Government borrow money on your behalf, chop large percentage and used small to build roads and schools that do not last more than 3 months and you applaud them. Is it not you own money? Don't you pay them to run the country? what is the big newsin building schools and roads? Aba, Ghana people. Me di mohu yew paaa.
Push lawyer, push harder;I admire your courage. I get hope when I know people with this much courage exist in Ghana. May God give you strength.
EC must be stopped from doing this to the small parties. What will happen if NDC's incompetent John Mahama is disqualified by the EC? There must be room for correction if errors are made to avoid unnecessary legal battle. To err is human.... EC must use common sense.
ACE you are brother but this threat would not hold water as THIS time NANA KONADU has caused all these to happen to their selfish NDP . THE electoral laws of the country are vested in the SUPREME COURT and EC was very right to implement CI 94 and all political parties should have done their home work by reading the fine print meticulously and not try to cry foul at this material time. GHANA IS MOVING FORWARD AND THERE IS NO RETREAT.
Empty threats. You think the EC doest not have legal brains that can interpret the law? go to court and stop that noise making, you will be fighting a losing battle.