The commission on Monday detected some new anomalies on the forms of the 12 presidential nominees, few hours after the Supreme Court ordered it to extend the nomination period by two days, and also give the parties a hearing.

Speaking on Eyewitness News, Head of Communications at the EC, Eric Kofi Dzakpusu, argued that the commission pointed out the new errors in the interest of the political parties.

“Per our understanding or the orders of the Supreme Court, we were to give the candidates a hearing, and in that hearing; we were to give them the opportunity to identify the errors on their forms and then make the necessary corrections.”

“So it was in all fairness to the candidates themselves that in the process of giving the hearing, some of these infractions were identified and brought to their notice, and as a matter of fact, they saw it and accepted it in good faith, and agreed that these are infractions, errors or omissions which can be corrected, and therefore agreed to take it and correct.”

“…So the commission thought that in all fairness to them, it is better to draw their attention to all these anomalies which have been discovered due to the extension of the process so they can solve them, that would be better than just pointing the two to them for them to go and come back only for the commission to detect other errors and hold them accountable to it. So I think the process in all fairness is to the benefit of the candidates themselves,” he added.

Why no errors were spotted on NDC, NPP form

When asked by host of Eyewitness News, Richard Dela Sky, why the commission did not spot errors on the already qualified candidates of the National Democratic Congress or the New Patriotic Patriotic Party, Mr. Dzakpasu argued that those forms were not in contention.

“The issues involving those presidential candidates are not in contention. The Supreme Court was very clear…The Supreme Court did not at any point in time say that we should go back and have a second look at the forms of those other people. In any case their form had passed the time of the process.”

Background

Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom of the PPP, Dr. Hassan Ayariga, APC, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, NDC, and two others who were among the 12 aspirants who were disqualified from this year’s presidential race, sued the EC and demanded an order from the court to quash the commission’s decision.

The EC subsequently went to the Supreme Court after an Accra High ordered it to allow the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) to correct errors on the forms of Dr. Nduom.

But the Supreme Court ordered the EC to give the disqualified aspirants a hearing, and also extend the nomination period for two days.

Parties storm EC to correct errors

The EC adhered to the Supreme Court’s order; but pointed out new errors on the nomination forms of the disqualified aspirants.

Ten out of the 12 disqualified aspirants were able to amend their nomination forms at the close of the extended nomination period on Tuesday, November 8, 2016.

Meanwhile, the parties are expected to ballot for the presidential slots on Thursday November 10, 2016.

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By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post We were fair to disqualified aspirants – EC appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to EC, the nominees successfully met all the requirements for the contest.

“All the 147 candidates who filed have gone through successfully so they can all be confirmed as parliamentary candidates across the 34 constituencies we have in Greater Accra,” the EC’s Greater Accra Regional Director of Elections, Kwame Amoah said.

[contextly_sidebar id=”VVKbYAqXecTiZyxHEK8irUlxdVArARfW”]Mr. Amoah told Citi News that, the commission did not disqualify any candidate in the region because it educated all the aspirants on how the nomination forms were to be filled.

He further gave the breakdown of the nominees saying “NDC filed in all the 34, as well as NPP. PPP filed in 24 constituencies, CPP, in 30 constituencies, GCPP, only one and PNC 6.  Hassan Ayariga’s ACP also filed  in 4 constituencies, and we have 8 independent candidates.”

“All those who picked the nomination forms, we took their contacts so when the details of how we would process the nomination forms came out, we got in touch with them so that they would be able to fill the forms well and then to be able to submit the forms within the specified period,” he added.

EC disqualifies 3 in Brong Ahafo

Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission has disqualified 3 parliamentary nominees in the Brong Ahafo Region from contesting in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

The affected nominees were contesting the Asutifi North and South constituency seats. The three disqualified candidates include GFP’s Kofi Anane, NDP’s Tawiah Joseph and a PPP aspirant.

24 parliamentary nominees disqualified in Ashanti Region

The EC had also told Citi News  that it disqualified 24 aspirants in the Ashanti Region because they couldn’t pay the GHc10,000 filing fee pegged for nominees in the race.

13 presidential aspirants disqualified

The EC on Monday rejected the nomination of 13 presidential nominees because their forms were allegedly fraught with errors.

Some of the aspirants, including the Progressive People’s Party’s (PPP) Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom, has subsequently dragged the EC to court to seek redress.

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By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post EC clears 147 parliamentary nominees in Greater Accra appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

“Their filing fees would be refunded to them,” EC’s Head of Communications, Eric Dzakpasu said on Eyewitness News on Wednesday.

[contextly_sidebar id=”cSILaJ37v0tb2I5sl0cDM6xytD0BEj8l”]The Electoral Commission on Monday rejected the nomination of 13 presidential aspirants because they had issues with their forms leaving only four in the race – President John Mahama (NDC), Nana Akufo-Addo (NPP), Ivor Greenstreet (CPP) and Joseph Osei Yeboah (Independent candidate).

Some of the disqualified nominees include, Paa Kwesi Nduom of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings of the National Democratic Party (NDP), Edward Mahama of the People’s National Congress (PNC) among others.

Speaking on Eyewitness News, Eric Dzakpasu said they would refund the monies after the notice of polls are published.

“Per the rules on the disposal of deposits, refunding the payments will be after the notices of polls have been published. The rules states that; after the publication of the notice of polls which will indicate that these people are not contesting the elections, their monies must be refunded to them.”

The EC pegged filing fees for presidential and parliamentary nominees at GHc50,000 and GHc10,000 respectively, an amount that angered some of the parties, leading to a legal tussle between the Progressive People’s Party and the commission.

But an Accra High Court, eventually dismissed an injunction suit filed by the PPP on the collection of the fees.

Disqualified candidates threaten lawsuit

Whereas some of the parties have petitioned the EC to reconsider it’s decision, others have threatened to go to court to seek redress.

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By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post Disqualified aspirants to get refund after notice of poll – EC appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.