The James Gyakye Quayson saga, the EC to blame
Mark Mawutor Kofi Logo
Opinion
The Supreme Court of the Republic of Ghana, in a majority decision has on Wednesday, April 13, 2022 granted an injunction application against Mr James Gyakye Quayson restraining him from holding himself out as a Member of Parliament and performing Parliamentary duties pending the final determination of a suit challenging the constitutionality of his election.
Having followed this case from my small corner, l have come to the firm conclusion that, the woes of the embattled MP can be traced to the doorsteps of the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana.
The EC as the sole authority charged with the responsibility of conducting elections in the Republic of Ghana, cannot escape blame for the present predicament of Mr Quayson.
There are a few questions for the EC to answer as far as the issue on hand is concerned.
For the sake of education for ignorant ones like me, what goes into the process of filing application to stand as a parliamentary candidate in the Republic of Ghana?
What goes into the vetting of applicants aspiring for the position of Members of Parliament in the Republic of Ghana?
What verifications are conducted by the EC for prospective candidates before the granting of certificates for participation in Parliamentary elections?
By the ruling of the apex court of the land, can the EC be absolved from blame in granting an "ineligible" candidate the right to participate in an election?
The EC even went ahead and collected filing fees from that person?
By the clear negligence of the EC, the ruling by the Supreme Court has further brought political tension to an already polarised nation.
This is certainly a recipe for chaos in the Assin North Constituency and the country as a whole.
If Mr Quayson is eventually disqualified and his seat is declared vacant it is still the same EC that shall be mandated to conduct a bye-election in that Constituency. What a paradox!
By the way, should Mr Quayson lose the case, will his filing fee be refunded by the EC in the spirit of fairness?
Let the EC learn valuable lessons from this case
to conduct proper and detailed vetting processes on applicants before clearing them to stand elections in future. As we say in the Civil Service parlance, EC , be guided accordingly.
The writer is a retired Assistant Commissioner of the Customs Division of GRA, Tema.