Jean Mensa
The Electoral Commission (EC) office in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality of the Eastern Region has been barred from conducting the upcoming District Level Elections in the area scheduled for Tuesday until further notice.
This follows a court injunction from the Koforidua High Court secured by two residents of the area namely; Michael Tetteh and Angel Agyemang to stop the EC from holding the election.
The Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Electoral Officer, Jonathan Okine confirmed to Trust Fm, a local Radio station that he received the call through his Regional Director amidst training for polling officials for the exercise.
He explained that the election which was supposed to take place on Tuesday has been suspended until further notice.
A further report gathered that bigwigs including politicians across both the National Democratic Congress(NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP) are behind and fueling the current court case.
But speaking to some candidates, the development is disturbing and expensive, especially when items and logistics for the election day operations were bought.
One Raymond Gborson, who is running for the 3rd consecutive time for Kpong Ahujo Electoral Area, said “I believe the timing is not right looking at expenses myself and other candidates have invested. As we speak I am in Accra buying rice to feed my polling agents on the day.”
Contesting to represent Nusao Old Town Electoral Area, Michel Pinto expects compensation from the applicants should their claim be thrown out by the court.
“They have wasted our time, and the applicants should be asked to give us compensation in case they lose the case,” Mr. Pinto said on Trust Fm.
The Two applicants in their writ to the court say allowing the exercise to take effect would mean a violation of their constitutional right to exercise their vote in the upcoming elections by the Electoral Commission, contrary to article 33 of the 1992 constitution of Ghana.
They also said the commission has failed to conduct a registration exercise to enable them to register after they (applicants) have attained 18 years.
A paragraph of the applicants’ affidavit cited by trustfmonline.com reads, “that since turning 18, we have not had any opportunity to register to vote or be qualified to be elected as Assembly Members in the Lower Manya Krobo District Assembly.”
Meanwhile, ahead of the injunction, a petition signed by the President of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs and overlord of Manya Krobo Traditional Council, dated 12 December 2022, asking the EC to reconsider mainstreaming the district-level elections in Lower Manya Krobo with the national routine
Referencing, the petition said, the District Levels Elections in Lower Manya Krobo deviated in 2010, when a case involving the same election was brought before the Supreme Court in Accra over the creation of new electoral areas and designation unit by the Electoral Commission.
“…we wish to kindly plead and appeal to the Electoral Commission of Ghana to reconsider its decision in the conduct of the Lower Manya Krobo District Level Elections in January 2023 to enable the district to join the nationwide District Level Elections in 2023.”
The EC has set 17 January 2023 for the District Elections for the 7th Assembly for the Municipality under the 1992 Constitution.
While almost all old District Assemblies are about to complete their 7th Assembly under the fourth Republic, Lower Manya Krobo is yet to go into elections.
This followed a Supreme Court case in 2010, which ordered the EC to exclude Lower Manya Krobo from the election until a determination of a case filed by Charles Mate Korle and Azago Kwesitsu I, against the EC over relocating six electoral areas to Shai Osudoku District as a result of the passage of LI 1983 of 2010.
This break has since placed Lower Manya Krobo District Assembly Elections off the national calendar.
BY Daniel Bampoe