We will not be rushed about bye-election - EC

The Electoral Commission (EC) says it would not be rushed into organizing a bye-election in the Mion Constituency following a high court ruling that nullified the 2004 parliamentary election results of the constituency and ordered a by-election there.

The nullified results showed the NDC candidate, incumbent MP for the area, Dr Ahmed Yakubu Alhassan as the winner.

Deputy Chairman in charge of operations of the EC David Kangah says until the Clerk of Parliament declared the seat vacant on the basis of the court's decision and officially notified the commission, it would not act on the court's decision.

“ Whatever the court decides is not our business… we will work with the Clerk of Parliament says,” he said.

Mr Kangah said the EC did not have enough evidence to conduct a bye-election, as it did not have a full report of the Court's ruling.

“ We have heard from unofficial sources that the incumbent MP had appealed against the court's decision and I think we should exercise some patience till the outcome of the reported appeal,” he said.

A Tamale High Court presided over by Mr Justice Victor Dogah ruled that the Electoral Commission did not supervise the parliamentary election well, an act, which resulted in the inaccuracy of the result.

The ruling, which ordered a bye-election, followed a 10-month legal battle initiated by the 2004 NPP Parliamentary candidate for the Constituency, Samuel Kwesi Nigin Mahama against the current MP for the constituency, Ahmed Yakubu Alhassan.

The presiding judge in a ruling read on his behalf by Mr Justice Suuribare, another High Court Judge said the complainant had proved beyond all reasonable doubt that the Electoral Commission did not perform its duty of organizing the Parliamentary election we ll.

This he said resulted in the dispute over the election.