EC sets May 23 for Kumawu by-election, six cleared to contest

The Electoral Commission (EC) has announced May 23 as the date for the Kumawu Constituency parliamentary by-election.

The by-election follows the death of the sitting Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Hon. Philip Armah Basoah about a month ago.

In a statement released on Monday, April 17, the EC invited interested candidates to pick up nomination forms from their office to contest the vacant seat.

"In accordance with Article 112 (5) of the Constitution, as amended, the Electoral Commission will hold a By-Election in the Constituency on Tuesday, the 23rd of May, 2023," the statement signed by Chairperson Jean Mensa read in portion.

Prospective candidates, according to the Commission, have between May 2 to May 5 to file their nominations.

"A prospective Candidate may personally deliver or cause to be delivered on his/her behalf by either the Proposer or Seconder of his/her Nomination, the completed Nomination Forms to the Returning Officer at the Sekyere Kumawu District Office of the Commission, on the dates and times stated above," the EC said.

The electoral management body further noted that two voters must propose and second each candidate, and the nomination must be supported by 18 other registered voters in the constituency, adding that each candidate must also provide a filing fee of GHC10,000 and two passport-sized photos.

"All completed Nomination Forms are expected to be delivered in quadruplicate," the statement added.

The EC statement concluded, "We urge the public to be guided accordingly.”

Six out of eight parliamentary aspirants of the governing the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have been cleared to contest the party’s primary in Kumawu in the Ashanti Region.

Two other persons who also picked nomination forms to contest the upcoming by-election in the Constituency have their fate hanging in a balance as they are yet to be cleared by the Vetting Committee.

The vetting was conducted on Sunday, April 16 with the party's primary scheduled to be held on Sunday, April 23.

However, the party has conducted a ballot for the six who have been cleared.

Some of the NPP aspirants eying the seat include former MP, Yaw Baah, the First Vice Chairman Appiah Kubi, the Director of Health Promotions at the Ghana Health Service, Dr Aboagye Dacosta and Dr Philip Banor of the Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HeFRA) among others.