The Electoral Commission has gone to the Supreme Court to seek review of a High Court’s decision quashing their disqualification of the flagbearer of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP).
The EC said it took the decision in the interest of public policy and credibility of the electoral process.
“In the interest of public policy and the credibility of the electoral process, the Commission has today [Monday, October 31, 2016] filed an application at the Supreme Court to quash the High Court decision and seek clarity on the relevant aspects of the law on candidate nominations,” a statement signed by Eric Kofi Dzakpasu, Head of Communication at the EC said.
The commission said it believes in the overall national interest and on the grounds of public policy that the Supreme Court provides clarity on the matter.
“A judgment from the Apex Court would effectively bring finality to the issue once and for all.”
Background
An Accra High Court last Friday ruled in favour of the flagbearer of th PPP, Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom who was challenging his disqualification from the 2016 presidential race by the Electoral Commission.
The EC rejected Dr. Nduom’s nomination claiming the number of subscribers to his forms did not meet the requirements of Regulation 7 (2) (b) of CI 94 [the law regulating the conduct of the 2016 election].
The commission said one of his subscribers endorsed the form with different signatures in both portions of the nomination form, raising questions as to the legitimacy of one or both signatures.
But lawyers of the PPP argued that the EC did not give them the opportunity to correct the errors on the nomination forms.
They further prayed the court to stop the EC from going ahead with balloting of presidential candidates until the case was decided.
The court presided over by Justice Eric Kyei Baffour ordered the commission to give the PPP the chance to correct the anomalies on the nomination forms of its flagbearer and subsequently decided whether to rope him back into the race or not.
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