Advertisement

Allow Lloyd Evans and Mac Kwame to contest - GJA adjudication committee

Allow Lloyd Evans and Mac Kwame to contest - GJA adjudication committee

The Elections Dispute  Adjudication Committee (EDAC) of the Ghana  Journalists Association (GJA) has concluded that  Mr Lloyd Evans and Mr Mathew Mac Kwame should be given the opportunity to contest the upcoming national elections of the  association.

According to the EDAC, "candidates who were disqualified from contesting the elections on the basis other than (i) not being members or (ii) whose membership was below three years should be given the opportunity to contest the elections."

Mr Evans filed to contest the presidential position of the association  while Mr Mac Kwame filed to contest as vice- president.

The two, among other aspirants, were earlier disqualified by the elections Committee for various reasons.

Disqualification

In disqualifying them, the Election  Committee said Mr Evans and Mr Mac  Kwame failed to meet the requirement  under Article 47 (b) (iii) which states  that “All members aspiring for

Executive positions at the National level  must be members in good standing, at least ninety (90) days before the  elections."

That meant that even though they paid their dues in February and were in good standing as members and could even vote in the elections, they were, however, not qualified to contest the national executive position per Article 47 (b) of the GJA Constitution.

The elections had originally be planned to be held on March 31, 2017 but  it was postponed indefinitely because of  the petitions that followed the  disqualification and the fact that the  adjudication committee needed more  time to hear the petitions.

Petition

In various petitions to the EDAC by the two aspirants, and that of two other interested third parties, Charles Benoni Okine and Enoch Darfah Frimpong, both of the Graphic Communications Group Limited, the petitioners argued that the date for the elections was a surprise to them and  that going by the status quo, there was  no equity in the manner the  disqualifications were done, especially  as the national executives of the association had flouted some provisions in the constitution with regard to the  processes leading to the elections.

Adjudication Committee

In a statement issued in Accra last Friday and signed by the Chairman of the three member committee, Mr Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh, the committee said it had concluded hearing of petitions

regarding the 2017 GJA elections and that: “Candidates who were disqualified  from contesting the elections on the basis other than (i) not being members or (ii) whose membership was below

three years should be given the  opportunity to contest the elections.” The statement said the committee  has submitted a copy of its report to the GJA Executive.

“We wish to take this opportunity to  thank the Election Committee (EC), the  GJA Executives, the petitioners and all  stakeholders for their cooperation and  support throughout the process of the

hearing.”

“We do hope that all stakeholders of the GJA will accept the decision in good faith for the overall well-being of the association,” it added.

“In this vein, the EC is advised to lift the indefinite postponement of the elections for the process to take its course,” the statement concluded.

The other members of the  committee are Mr Michael Boadu from the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana  and Mr Zakaria Tanko Musah, a lecturer at the Ghana Institute of Journalism

(GIJ).

‘Give Evans, Mac Kwame chance to contest GJA elections’ We do hope that all stakeholders of the  GJA will accept the decision in good faith for the overall wellbeing of the association.

 

effectiveness.

Connect With Us : 0242202447 | 0551484843 | 0266361755 | 059 199 7513 |