Lawyers for the former Peoples National Convention (PNC) Youth Organizer, Abu Ramadan, have withdrawn a suit that sought to ask the Supreme Court to declare the current voters’ register as null and void for the November elections.
The lawyers, led by Nana Asante Bediatuo, said their decision is to enable them make some changes to their previous suit due to some additional information they have gathered from the Electoral Commission (EC).
[contextly_sidebar id=”rBxQ7Idyli3FgeAkQtPZAhCPMNaySCHa”]The Supreme Court panel presided over by the Chief Justice Georgina Wood, granted their request and struck out the case with the chance to re-file.
Abu Ramadan, in December last year, filed a suit at the Supreme Court demanding that the 2012 voters’ register be declared null and void.
According to him, the Supreme Court’s ruling that the National Health Insurance Card was an illegal form of identification for voters register further strengthened his suit.
Mr. Ramadan wants the court to compel the Electoral Commission to compile a fresh voters’ register before any major election or referendum is conducted in the country.
Mr. Ramadan’s suit followed the Electoral Commission’s rejection of a request by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) to compile a new voters’ register because according to them, the current one, is flawed with names of foreigners and minors.
Abu Ramadan was seeking the following reliefs:
1. A declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 45 (a) of the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana, 1992 (hereinafter, the “Constitution”) the mandate of the Electoral Commission of Ghana to compile the register of voters implies a duty to compile, fair and transparent register.
2. A declaration that the 2012 Voters Register which contains the names of persons who have not established qualification to be registered is inconsistent with Article 42 and 45 (a) and therefore unconstitutional, null, void and of no effect.
3. An order setting aside the 2012 Voters Register and compelling the Electoral Commission to compile fresh Voters Register before any new public election or referendum is conducted in this country.
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By Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana