The Progressive People’s Party (PPP) has slammed the Electoral Commission (EC) over its decision to print the ballot papers for the 2016 general elections abroad.
The EC on Thursday told an Accra High Court presided over by Justice Eric Kyei Baffour that, it was going to print the ballot papers for the polls abroad. The revelation came up when the court sat to hear the motion for an abridgment of time by the EC following a suit filed against it by the presidential candidate of the party, Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom who was disqualified for failing to meet the requirements.
Kofi Asamoah Siaw Policy Director for the PPP in an interview with Nyankonton Mu Nsem, after court proceeding wondered why the EC would want to move out of the country to print ballot papers for an election here in Ghana, when they are companies that could do the job.
He said, ‘one major issue we should not forget about this court case is the decision by the EC to print the ballot papers abroad. That is what it told the court. This is against our policy to create jobs for Ghanaians.
Why should we print ballot papers abroad; are there no companies in Ghana that can print them? Are foreigners the only alternative to what we need? What we are worried about as a party, is the credibility of the process and the unfortunate decision by the EC to print the papers abroad. When will the printed ballots arrive,’ he quizzed further.
The EC filed for an abridgment of case for interlocutory injunction filed by the PPP restraining it from proceeding with balloting for position presidential candidates for the 7th December elections.
The suit has Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom as the exparte applicant, with Madam Charlotte Osei the EC Chairperson as the 1st Respondent, and the Electoral Commission as the 2nd Respondent.
The plaintiff is also seeking”…a further order directed against the 1st Respondent in her capacity as Returning Officer for Presidential elections to grant the Applicant the opportunity to amend and alter the one anomaly found in his nomination papers as well as accept his nomination papers as amended or altered to enable him contest as a Presidential Candidate for the 7th December 2016 elections.”
The court was of the view that, time is of essence and has further instructed lawyers for the Electoral Commission (EC) and the PPP to file their statement of case by Monday October 24, 2016. The parties and lawyers are to appear before the court so a date is given for the ruling.
Mr. Siaw commenting on this expressed his joy and added that the PPP want the case to travel as fast as possible because they do not want to jeopardize the electoral process. He said, the referee for the electoral process should be fair but in their case that did happen hence, their decision to result to court.
Asked whether they believe they have a case, he said, their lawyers are capable enough to prosecute their case well.
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