EC initiates new arrangements for District Assembly Elections

The Electoral Commission (EC) is to prepare a new legislation to be passed by Parliament before fresh nominations would be be taken for the District Level Elections.

This is in total compliance with the Supreme Court ruling last Friday that ordered that the District Level Elections processes should be conducted afresh, 

A statement signed by the Deputy Chairman in charge of operations, Amadu Sulley made this known on Monday afternoon.

The statement read: "In view of the Supreme Court ruling ordering that the District Level Elections processes should be conducted afresh, we wish to inform the general public that in total compliance with the said ruling the Electoral Commission will prepare a new legislation to be passed by Parliament before fresh nominations are taken for the elections. We count on the co-operation of the public in this matter.”

The Supreme Court on Friday stopped the EC from conducting the District Assembly Elections on Tuesday March 3. 

The court asked the EC to start afresh the process, meaning, the EC would have to reopen nominations for Assembly Member aspirants to reapply.

A Winneba based fisherman, Benjamin Eyi Mensah went to court to challenge his disqualification based on a new law which came into force after the commission closed nominations.

According to the plaintiff, he was denied an opportunity to file his nomination despite meeting all conditions to be registered as a candidate because the EC closed nomination before the maturity of the Constitutional Instrument (C.I. 85) which gives grounding for the elections.

He argued that the EC had breached the constitution because there was no law which allowed for nominations to be opened and closed for district assembly elections.

The Supreme Court in ruling on the case on Friday, unanimously declared that it was "unconstitutional" and that the elections should be cancelled and the Electoral Commission should re-open the nominations.