[ 2012-07-04 ]

NDC, NPP, CPP, PNC sue EC
The General Secretaries of the four main political
parties have, in an unprecedented move, jointly
sued the Electoral Commission seeking to stop it
from going ahead with by-elections in Wulensi and
Kwabre West.

The ruling NDC, the main opposition NPP as well as
the PNC and CPP today came together to file a writ
at the high court against the EC and the Attorney
General.

The parties argue that the EC cannot go ahead with
the bye-elections called in the wake of the death
of two MPs because of the absence of a valid
voters register.

General Secretary of the NPP Kwodwo Owusu Afriyie
confirmed this to Joy News saying all the General
Secretaries of the four major political parties
have given their consent for the writ to be
filed.

He said they are not by this writ challenging the
constitutional power of the EC to organize
elections but was quick to add, that per
Constitution Instrument 72 the EC cannot hold
elections with the old voters register.

The EC has penciled July 31, 2012 for the Wulensi
bye-elections and August 14 for the Kwabre West
and has begun receiving nominations for the
Wulensi by election but the parties say they will
not be part of it.

Acting Public Relations officer of the Commission
Sylvia Annor told Joy News the new register is not
yet ready for use.

She explained the register must go through some
processes, including exhibition but they are yet
to do that.

She said until all corrections are made and the
register exhibited they cannot use the biometric
register for the bye-elections.

She was emphatic the EC will use the old register
for the two bye elections after which it will
clean the biometric register for the December
General elections.

But the parties will have none of that. Owusu
Afriyie said it will be wrong for the EC to go
ahead with the elections with the old register and
they will not be part of it.

He noted any action by the EC to use the old
register for the elections will be "illegal,
unreasonable and arbitrary."

He said they have filed a writ at the High Court
to place an order of "perpetual injunction on the
EC from conducting the elections."

The General Secretary of the NDC Johnson Asiedu
Nketia affirmed the decision taken by his
colleague in the NPP but was quick to sympathize
with the EC who he said have been caught up in a
difficult situation.

He said it was practically unreasonable for the
parties to spend money, raise political tension
and take part in the bye-elections only for the
general elections to be held in December.

He explained even if the two elections are held,
the winners will only be sworn in October because
the Parliament will be on recess after which they
will sit for three weeks and then another
elections will be held.

Asiedu Nketia said "hell will not break lose if we
do not hold these two elections."

Source - Joy News

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