No by-election for vacant Fomena seat

The Electoral Commission (EC) will not conduct a by-election for the vacant Fomena seat.

Per the law, the EC cannot organise any major election within months before the holding of a general election.

This is provided for in Article 112 clause six which states that “Notwithstanding clause (5) of this article, a by-election shall not be held within three months before the holding of a general election.”

The Speaker of Parliament, Prof Aaron Mike Oquaye, last Saturday, declaredthe Fomena seat, occupied by a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Andrew Amoako Asiamah, vacant.

The decision followed a letter written to Parliament by the NPP to withdraw Mr Asiamah as its representative for Fomena.

Context

This was after Mr Asiamah had filed with the EC to contest in the 2020 parliamentary elections as an independent candidate.

According to the NPP, Mr Asiamah lost his membership by his action and that served as plausible grounds to withdraw him from the House pursuant to Article 97 (1)(g) of the 1992 Consitution.

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