{"id":131357,"date":"2015-07-04T12:30:14","date_gmt":"2015-07-04T12:30:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/4cd.e16.myftpupload.com\/?p=131357"},"modified":"2015-07-04T12:59:05","modified_gmt":"2015-07-04T12:59:05","slug":"talensi-by-election-npp-accuses-ec-of-breaching-electoral-laws","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2015\/07\/talensi-by-election-npp-accuses-ec-of-breaching-electoral-laws\/","title":{"rendered":"Talensi by-election: NPP accuses EC of breaching electoral laws"},"content":{"rendered":"

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has accused the Electoral Commission (EC) of breaching electoral laws ahead of the Parliamentary by-election in Talensi.<\/p>\n

According to the NPP, the EC has rebuffed several requests from the party for a list of the names of the EC officials who will preside over the elections.<\/p>\n

[contextly_sidebar id=”Src4OCv8GR8R1YjLnv43EfvmawSktGZ7″]Regulation 17 (9)\u00a0of C.I. 75 stipulates that \u201can objection raised against the appointment of an election official shall not be entertained if the objection is made within seven days to an election.\u201d<\/p>\n

Per the regulation, the party will be unable to raise any objections about any appointments made by the EC for the election on Tuesday, a fact which has not gone down too well with the NPP.<\/p>\n

In a statement released by the party on Saturday and read by the first Vice Chairman, Freddy Blay, the NPP expressed dismay over the delay by the EC in releasing the names of the officials.<\/p>\n

“Today is July 4, three days before polling day and yet the list of election officials have not been made public. It remains a heavily guarded state secret. Moreover, even if it is made public immediately after this news conference, no party or person will be entitled to object to any of the names, even if it becomes established that such and such persons are known card-bearing members of a political party,” the statement said.<\/p>\n

The NPP alleged that prior to the 2012 general elections “the EC took a strange decision to move away from its usual practice of recruiting mainly teachers as temporary election officers for polling day. Instead, they were allegations of known cadres and sympathizers of the NDC handpicked to serve as election officials.”<\/p>\n

The party believes that the delay is a ploy by the NDC and the EC\u00a0to “unlawfully favour the ruling party.”<\/p>\n

“We wish to use this platform to send a strong message out there that the NPP does not intend to be bitten again and that we will protect the mandate of the people diligently”<\/p>\n

\"Nana
Nana Addo addressing the people of Talensi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

‘NDC transferring 3,000 voters to Talensi’<\/strong><\/p>\n

The NPP also alleged that the NDC are planning to transfer as many as 3,000 voters to Talensi from other constituencies and regions to take part in the polls.<\/p>\n

The NPP have kicked against this, stating that “under Regulation 20 (3) (b) of C.I. 75 an application to transfer one\u2019s vote from one constituency to another \u201cshall be made not less than forty-two (42) days before election day to the constituency where the applicant resides where the application relates to voting.\u00a0The same 42-day rule applies to voting by proxy, making it also impossible for this by-election.”<\/p>\n

The NPP added that given that the EC had announced that it had printed ballot papers based on the number of voters in Talensi –\u00a039,534\u00a0– they “do not expect\u00a0even one name more or less on the register to be used on Tuesday. We expect a total voter population of 39,534.”<\/p>\n

\"veep
Veep campaigning in Talensi for the NDC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The elections became necessary following the enskinment of the former Talensi MP, Robert Nachineb Doameng as the Paramount chief of Talensi and his subsequent resignation from Parliament.<\/p>\n

The NDC’s BT. Baba<\/a><\/strong><\/span> will now face off against Thomas Duanab Wuni, who \u00a0won the NPP<\/a><\/strong><\/span>‘s primaries.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

By: Edwin Kwakofi\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana
\nFollow @EdKwakofi<\/a>
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