The Supreme Court has unanimously dismissed an application brought before it by three citizens including Dr Kwame Amoako-Tuffuor, seeking an order to get the Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC) to count ballots immediately at the end of Special Voting.
According to the Court, the counting and declaration of the results ahead of the general voting could gravely jeopardise the secrecy of the results.
Special Voting is conducted for security agencies, electoral officers as well as journalists who will be very much engaged in various capacities on election day. This year’s Special Voting is slated for Thursday, December 1.
Among the reliefs sought by the three citizens was a declaration that the CI 94, which demands a sealing of the special votes and counting later with the general votes, is inconsistent with Article 29 of the 1992 Constitution.
But the seven-member panel presided over by Justice William Atuguba said declaring the results ahead of the December 7 elections may compromise and influence the decision of mainstream voters.
TV3‘s Godfred Tanam reported on Midday Live on Monday that the Court upheld the sovereignty of the EC in the bid to conceal the votes until after the general elections.
By this latest decision, the ballots will be opened and added to the December 7 ones for general counting and declaration.
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