Source: myjoyonline. com - Lawyer Akoto Ampaw is raising an alarm of a looming constitutional crisis if the EC does not resolve the drama surrounding the filing of nomination by the disqualified presidential aspirants seeking to contest the 2016 elections.
The lawyer, who was part of the petitioners in 2012 election petition said the EC, by law, must complete the nomination procedures 30 clear days before the elections.
He told Joy News, Monday, it was in the interest of the EC to have all those infractions resolved on Tuesday, as directed by Supreme Court, adding, "it will not wise for the EC to be introducing new errors to the aspirants."
On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled that the EC's disqualification of the 12 presidential candidates were without basis and directed it to allow the candidates to correct anomalies in their nomination forms.
It further directed the election organizing body to extend the nomination period by one day to allow the aspirants to correct all the anomalies which were drawn to their attention and which formed the basis for their disqualification.
However, when the PPP proceeded to the EC to have its Richard Aseda error corrected, Lawyer Ayikoi Otoo confirmed to Myjoyonline.com that they have been hit with 104 new errors.
On October 10, 2016, the EC boss Charlotte Osei said the basis on which the Commission disqualified Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom of the PPP was that, one Richard Aseda, who subscribed to the forms of the PPP leader had done so in two regions contrary to the election regulation.
The PPP were unimpressed with the disqualification and proceeded to the court to have it set aside. The court agreed with the PPP, quashed the disqualification and directed the EC to allow Dr Nduom to correct the anomaly.
The EC were unhappy with the High Court ruling and therefore escalated the matter to the Supreme Court but there too the apex court upheld the ruling at the High Court.
With the Supreme Court ruling, many thought the matter will be brought to a close but that may not likely be the case as the EC has discovered new errors which the PPP and other parties must correct before the close of nomination by 5:00pm, Tuesday.
Discussing the matter on Joy News, Lawyer Akoto Ampaw said the Supreme Court, armed with the knowledge that the EC had 30 days within which to complete its nomination process gave Tuesday November 8, 2016 as the deadline.
"I hope it [EC] does not raise new errors. The EC cannot continue to identify error upon error on different occasions.
"If it is introducing new errors, the EC will be simply prolonging this feud with the disqualified aspirants," he noted.
"It all depends on the EC. If the EC raises new errors which the aspirants cannot correct, and they need time to correct, they might go back to court and that will delay the process even further," he added.
He said per regulation CI 94, the EC has 30 days to complete the nomination process and any attempt to prolong the process may lead to constitutional crisis.
He told Joy News, Monday, it was in the interest of the EC to have all those infractions resolved on Tuesday, as directed by Supreme Court, adding, "it will not wise for the EC to be introducing new errors to the aspirants."
On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled that the EC's disqualification of the 12 presidential candidates were without basis and directed it to allow the candidates to correct anomalies in their nomination forms.
It further directed the election organizing body to extend the nomination period by one day to allow the aspirants to correct all the anomalies which were drawn to their attention and which formed the basis for their disqualification.
However, when the PPP proceeded to the EC to have its Richard Aseda error corrected, Lawyer Ayikoi Otoo confirmed to Myjoyonline.com that they have been hit with 104 new errors.
On October 10, 2016, the EC boss Charlotte Osei said the basis on which the Commission disqualified Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom of the PPP was that, one Richard Aseda, who subscribed to the forms of the PPP leader had done so in two regions contrary to the election regulation.
The PPP were unimpressed with the disqualification and proceeded to the court to have it set aside. The court agreed with the PPP, quashed the disqualification and directed the EC to allow Dr Nduom to correct the anomaly.
The EC were unhappy with the High Court ruling and therefore escalated the matter to the Supreme Court but there too the apex court upheld the ruling at the High Court.
With the Supreme Court ruling, many thought the matter will be brought to a close but that may not likely be the case as the EC has discovered new errors which the PPP and other parties must correct before the close of nomination by 5:00pm, Tuesday.
Discussing the matter on Joy News, Lawyer Akoto Ampaw said the Supreme Court, armed with the knowledge that the EC had 30 days within which to complete its nomination process gave Tuesday November 8, 2016 as the deadline.
"I hope it [EC] does not raise new errors. The EC cannot continue to identify error upon error on different occasions.
"If it is introducing new errors, the EC will be simply prolonging this feud with the disqualified aspirants," he noted.
"It all depends on the EC. If the EC raises new errors which the aspirants cannot correct, and they need time to correct, they might go back to court and that will delay the process even further," he added.
He said per regulation CI 94, the EC has 30 days to complete the nomination process and any attempt to prolong the process may lead to constitutional crisis.
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