General News of Tuesday, 8 November 2016
Source: starrfmonline.com
The National Democratic Party (NDP) has raised concerns over the Electoral Commission’s treatment of its presidential candidate, alleging a possible attempt to rig the presidential race in favor of the governing National Democratic Congress.
The party made this known on Tuesday following the detection of 33 fresh errors on the nomination forms of its nominee, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings.
The Commission in a letter to the NDP said the errors must be corrected by 5pm today [November 8], to enable the party’s nominee contest in the upcoming presidential elections
This new discoveries, follows the Supreme Court’s dismissal of the EC’s suit challenging a High Court ruling asking it to allow the presidential nominee of the Progressive People’s Party, Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom to fix the errors contained on his nomination form.
According to the ruling delivered by a seven-member panel, the election management body must extend the nomination period to November 8 [Today] and allow the candidates to correct their mistakes in order to contest the polls.
The court also ordered the discontinuation of the various court cases regarding the disqualification of other presidential aspirants.
However, the NDP in a statement signed by its General Secretary, Mohammed Frimpong accused the commission of doing the bidding of the ruling government.
According to Frimpong, the actions of the commission is wrong, illegal and a clear violation of “our human rights.”
He thus alleged that: “The EC has shown its hand, that it is actuated and driven, not by a desire to deliver a world-class election in Ghana, but simply to hand the presidency to a selected candidate.
“We are calling upon the EC to immediately desist [from] its oppressive tactics and with immediate effect reverse this illegal demand of us; else we would have no option but to return to court.”