EC hands over forms to aspirants to correct errors
The Electoral Commission (EC) yesterday issued letters to the presidential aspirants who were disqualified from contesting this year’s presidential election, pointing out specific requirements regarding their nominations.
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The commission also handed the nomination forms to them to effect the corrections.
The parties are the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), the National Democratic Party (NDP), the All People’s Congress (APC), the People’s National Convention (PNC) and the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP).
Others are the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP), the United Progressive Party (UPP), the Reformed Patriotic Democrats (RPD), the United Front Party (UFP) and the Independent People’s Party (IPP).
Representatives of the parties expressed frustration at the process but indicated that they would study the letters and decide whether or not to go back to the Supreme Court today for further directives.
The NDP General Secretary, Alhaji Mohammed Frimpong, is one of the representatives who held that position.
Lawyers for the PPP were at the EC but they did not speak to the media, saying they could not speak to the issues until they had read the details in the EC letter.
Rush to the EC
Barely an hour after the Supreme Court had ordered the EC to give the opportunity to presidential aspirants who were disqualified from contesting the 2016 presidential elections to correct errors on their nomination forms, some of the parties rushed to the EC to take their nomination forms.
The PNC, the APC, the IPP and the GCPP were at the EC when the Daily Graphic got there at 1 p.m.
Background
The EC disqualified 12 of the 17 presidential aspirants who filed their nominations to contest the December 7 presidential election for various errors on their nomination forms.
Some of the disqualified aspirants took legal action against the EC, seeking to be reinstated.
Subsequently, the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) and the APC won their cases at the High Court, a development that required the EC to reinstate them.
The EC, however, went to the Supreme Court to seek a reversal of the High Court ruling, but the apex court affirmed the earlier ruling by the High Court and ordered the EC to allow the parties to correct their errors within two days, beginning yesterday.
Observations
When the Daily Graphic arrived on the premises of the EC, some representatives of the political parties who had reportedly got there shortly after the Supreme Court ruling, were still waiting to be attended to.
The atmosphere was generally calm, as staff of the EC went about their duties, while some members of the public were also on the premises for the replacement of their voters identity cards and to seek other services.
EC’s response
The Director of Public Affairs at the EC, Mr Eric Kofi Dzakpasu, observed that the ruling by the country’s apex court was welcome news to the electoral body, adding that due process would be followed to ensure that all stumbling blocks were removed to pave way for the successful conduct of the December 7 polls.
Touching on the directive given to the EC, he indicated that the mistakes the political parties made on their nomination forms would be scrutinised, so that those who met the grace period as directed by the Supreme Court would be reinstated.
“Whatever corrections and amendments the parties have to make ought to be done within the time as determined by the Supreme Court. Whether they will qualify to be on the ballot paper or not will depend on how diligently they correct the errors”, he added.
Mr Dzakpasu gave an assurance that the EC was on course to deliver successful polls on December 7, adding that balloting for positions on the presidential ballot paper would be done in the next few days.
Party representatives
Meanwhile, the IPP presidential aspirant, Mr Kofi Akpaloo, has given a clear indication that he will not make any amendment to his nomination forms.
He said all checks by the police showed that those who were alleged to have endorsed the forms for more than one aspirant, for which reason he was disqualified, did not commit the offence.
Other party representatives expressed their satisfaction with the ruling by the Supreme Court and said they would take advantage of the opportunity that had come their way to correct all errors to enable their presidential aspirants to contest the election.
