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Lawsuits won’t affect election calendar  – CJ

By CitiFMonline
Headlines Lawsuits wont affect election calendar – CJ
OCT 24, 2016 LISTEN

The Chief Justice, Georgina Theodora Wood has expressed the commitment of the Judiciary  to ensure  the country’s election calendar is not disrupted in anyway by the numerous cases in court.

According to her, judges designated to sit on such cases have been instructed to deal with them expeditiously.

The Electoral Commission is currently faced with multiple law suits from some political parties and individuals raising fears of a possible disruption in the election calendar.

But speaking at the ninth annual Chief Justice forum, Her ladyship Georgina Wood said they will ensure the election calendar is not disrupted.

“At a time the high court rules have been amended to provide for witness statements, I am confident that the maximum professional diligence would be deployed by all judges in adjudicating the multiple suits being filed ahead of December7, 2016. Our planned programmes clearly demonstrate our commitment over the period and pledge to Ghanaians to play a pivotal role towards the peace, stability and sustained social economic and political development of our country.”

Georgina Wood also noted that measures have been put in place to tackle weaknesses in current rules on elections.

“You may be aware of possible weaknesses in the current rules including those for the purposes of a presidential election petition. I am assured that you would carefully explore the theme for today and make recommendations for further improvements in the adjudication process.”

EC sued over declaration of special voting results

An outspoken member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Kwame Amoako-Tuffuor and two others have dragged the Electoral Commission to the Supreme Court seeking an order to compel the commission to announce results of special voting on the same day it is held.

The trio which included Benjamin Arthur and Adreba Abrefa Damoa argued in their writ that section 23 of C.I. 94, the law which regulates the conduct of the 2016 general elections, is inconsistent with Article 49 of the 1992 constitution.

EC sued over disqualifications
The Electoral Commission has further been sued by some political parties in the country for disqualifying their presidential nominees from the December 7 polls.

Some of them including Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom of the Progressive People's Party (PPP), Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings of the National Democratic Party (NDP), the Great Consolidated Popular Party's (GCPP) Dr. Henry Herbert Lartey and nine others were disqualified from the race for having issues with their nomination forms.


By: Godwin A. Allotey & Fred Djabanor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Follow @AlloteyGodwin

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