The Electoral Commission (EC) is to refund Ghc 100,000 to each of the five disqualified Presidential aspirants for the 2020 elections.
Chairperson of the EC, Jean Mensa, made this known on Monday, October 19, 2020 at the Commission’s ‘Let The Citizens Know’ series.
According to her, “To the aspiring Presidential Candidates who did not make this process, we wish you better luck next time. Your filing fees of GHC100,000 will be refunded to you.”
The five disqualified presidential aspirants include two independent aspirants: Kofi Koranteng and Marricke Kofi Gane, and three party nominees namely Akwasi Addae Odike of the United Progressive Party (UPP), Kwasi Busumbru of the People’s Action Party (PAP), and Nana Agyenim Boateng of the United Front Party (UFP).
The EC boss says the Commission had institutionalised a fair, open, transparent and accountable process to guide the declaration of the results.
According to her, the candidates who met the requirements of law and therefore, qualified to contest the December 7 Presidential Election included incumbent President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and former President John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The rest are; Alfred Kwame Asiedu Walker, Independent Candidate, Christian Kwabena Andrews of the Ghana Union Movement (GUM), Madam Brigitte Akosua Dzogbenuku of the Progressive Peoples Party (PPP)and Madam Akua Donkor, Ghana Freedom Party (GFP).
Others include Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings of the National Democratic Party (NDP), Hassan Ayariga, All People’s Congress (APP), Ivor Kobina Greenstreet, Convention People’s Party (CPP), Henry Herbert Lartey of the Great Consolidated People’s Party (GCPP), Percival Kofi Akpaloo of the Liberal Party Ghana (LPG) and David Asibi Ayindenaba Apasera of the People’s National Congress (PNC).
She stated that reasons for the disqualifications of the five candidates ranged from forging of signatures of supporters to failure to acquire the required number of supporters to endorse the forms.
She therefore urged the qualified candidates to engage in a decent campaign – a campaign based on policies and programmes that would lead to the betterment of the Ghanaian society.
“As referees, our role is to arrange and organize orderly, fair, transparent, peaceful and credible election. We assure you that we are working to do just that,” she said.
“We do not have the power to determine who wins the elections. It is not in our power or control to determine the outcome of the election. That power lies with the good people of our dear country. The citizens and the citizens alone can determine who should lead them – Not the Electoral Commission.”
“It is the Candidate who is given power to lead this country by the citizens who will be declared President of the Republic of Ghana by the Electoral Commission come the 7th of December, 2020.”
By Melvin Tarlue