Lead counsel for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the land mark election petition, Philip Addison says it will be a total waste of time to pursue another election petition in the country.
Today is exactly a year after the historic Election Petition that challenged President John Mahama’s legitimacy at the 2012 polls.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Citi news about whether the process succeeded in strengthening the country’s judicial and the electoral systems, he said it appears the court is not ready to make any major electoral decisions to displease an incumbent government; hence there will be no need to make another attempt in the court.
“One year down the line, we are still where we started from. We have the same team there being as recalcitrant as ever. Afari Gyan does not listen to anybody; he always needs a court order to act.”
President of the nine member panel of justices, William Atuguba recommended that the E.C should audit the voters’ register. He also suggested that the Commission provides a supplementary register and also re-examines the caliber of presiding officers appointed at various polling stations, among others.
Mr. Addison further said that the Electoral Commission’s refusal to amend the electoral laws despite recommendations from the judges is not healthy for the country’s democracy.
“I am saying that this is the same man who we took to court for him to testify and the court has made recommendations and he is still there and has done nothing about it and he is still there’’.
Philip Addison led the legal team of the petitioners when they presented to the Supreme Court a geographic representation of the spread of the “constitutional, statutory violations and irregularities” that they claimed affected the conduct and outcome of the December 7, 2012 General Elections.
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By: Betty Kankam-Boadu/citifmonline.com/Ghana