Tension as aggrieved Atiwa West NDC members call for fresh elections
Some aggrieved aspirants and members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Atiwa West Constituency of the Eastern Region are asking the Functional Executive Committee (FEC) of the party to stick by its decision to annul the constituency elections held some weeks ago and conduct a new one.
According to them, there will be peaceful co-existence in the party only when fresh elections are held ahead of the party’s elections for regional executives.
“We appeal to FEC to stand firm by their decision of annulment because the election was not credible, transparent, free or fair,” a constituency organizer aspirant, Julius Caesar Gafli said at a press conference in Kwabeng.
The party members, who were clad in red bands amidst chanting of war songs, said there were several violations in the purported elections of constituency officers held a fortnight ago.
They accused the regional election committee members led by Alhaji Sumaila Mahama, a former Regional Vice Chairman and the Constituency Chairman, Johnson Amo of going against a court directive to conduct the elections.
“There was an interlocutory injunction placed on the conference restraining it from happening. This was as a result of misunderstanding concerning delegates in nine branches in Abomosu where the Constituency Chairman did selection of branch executives instead of election”.
“The aggrieved old branch executives resorted to the law court for redress, hence the injunction. The Constituency Chairman arrogantly defied the court’s orders and went ahead with the conference. Following the announcement of the injunction on the radio, social media and the Police Service, a lot of delegates did not attend the conference including some aspirants,” Mr. Gafli said.
He added that the members present did not form a quorum as stated in the party’s constitution, hence should not have proceeded with the elections.
“Only 320 out of the 613 delegates expected stayed for the conference. Four hundred and nine meet the requirements for a quorum. The Constituency Chairman blatantly disregarded this guideline and went ahead to organise the election after calling it off,” he explained.
While insisting that fresh elections be conducted before the regional elections, Julius Gafli called on the NDC functional leadership to annul the election to avoid cracks that may affect the party’s electoral fortunes in the constituency.
“The Sankubease election was fraudulent. If FEC fails to annul it, we will advise ourselves. Article 38 Clause 9 (e) of our party’s constitution and regulation 7.3 have been violated upon. We need a fresh election in the Atewa West Constituency for the NDC leadership. Clearly too much violation went on. This is wrong,” he added.
The National Elections Directorate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) annulled the results of some Constituency elections for disregarding the party’s directive not to go ahead with the polls.
In a press release, the party indicated that there had been an earlier directive by the Directorate for the postponement of elections in those constituencies, however, the constituency held the polls disregarding the directive.
source: myjoyonline.com
