Akua Donkor 's running mate may not qualify
Mrs Patricia Asante a.k.a. Yaa Asante's eligibility as running mate of Madam Akua Donkor of the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP) has been thrown into doubt on the grounds of age.
Advertisement
Donkor who wants to be president of Ghana and has since submitted her nomination to the Electoral Commission to be considered as a candidate for the December 7 elections on Monday introduced the 32-year-old as her running mate.
Read also: 17 aspirants beat deadline to run for President
The Electoral Commission is still vetting the nominations filed and has indicated it will announce qualified candidates this week.
However, the 1992 constitution is specific that a candidate for election as Vice President ought to be 40 years or above.
Article 60(3) of the constitution states: "The provisions of article 62 of this Constitution apply to a candidate for election as Vice-President."
Article 62 states: "A person shall not be qualified for election as the President of Ghana unless... (b) he has attained the age of forty years.
On the position on duties of a Vice President Article 60 of the constitution states that: “
(1) There shall be a Vice-President of Ghana who shall perform such functions as may be assigned to him by this Constitution or by the President.
(2) A candidate for the office of Vice-President shall be designated by the candidate for the office of President before the election of President.
(3) The provisions of article 62 of this Constitution apply to a candidate for election as Vice-President.
(4) A candidate shall be deemed to be duly elected as Vice-President if the candidate who designated him as candidate for election to the office of Vice-President has been duly elected as President in accordance with the provisions of article 63 of this Constitution.
Article 62 of the constitution on its part states that a person shall not be qualified for election as the President of Ghana unless -
(a) he is a citizen of Ghana by birth;
(b) he has attained the age of forty years; and
(c) he is a person who is otherwise qualified to be elected a Member of Parliament, except that the disqualifications set out in paragraphs (c), (d), and (e) of clause (2) of article 94 of this Constitution shall not be removed, in respect of any such person, by a presidential pardon or by the lapse of time as provided for in clause (5) of that article
Related: Akua Donkor names 32-year-old farmer as running mate
Barring any disqualifications, 17 candidates are billed to appear on the ballot paper for this year’s presidential election.
This follows the submission of completed nomination forms by flag bearers of 15 political parties and two independent candidates last Friday.
The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Mrs Charlotte Osei, addressing the press after the close of nominations last Friday, said the submission of the forms to the EC was not automatic qualification for the aspirants to contest the December polls.
She said the commission would vet all the nominations to satisfy itself that all the eligibility criteria had been adhered to by all the political parties and the aspirants.
Following the constitutional provision, the EC may therefore disqualify the running mate of the GFP.
Read also: Meet Akua Donkor's running mate - Mrs Patricia Asante (VIDEO)
Writer's emial: [email protected]
Follow on Twitter @enochfrimpong