News
The EC Has Taken A Break Because Its Work Is Done – Gabby Defends
Social commentator and lawyer, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko has backed the Electoral Commission’s decision to take a month long break.
The move by the EC has been met with a lot of criticisms with many calling it unreasonable at a time when people are still having issues with the outcome of the 2020 elections.
However, Gabby in a Facebook post wrote;
“The Electoral Commission of Ghana has gone on Christmas break because its work is done. There is nothing remotely irresponsible about this. It does not mean a court cannot compel the EC to come to court. It does not mean its lawyers are asleep. It does not mean the entire system is shut down. No! And, we know it!
“Within six months or so, Jean Mensa and her team have done what no Commission has done before. It has compiled the biggest voter registration (biometric) ever in Ghana in the closest time ever to general elections and it has done so at the height of the global coronavirus pandemic in Ghana.
“It has held the biggest general elections ever in the largest number of polling stations ever all on a single day and without leading to a spike in covid-19 cases. This is remarkable by any standard.
“It has declared all 275 parliamentary results at where the law says it should do – at the local level and published the results nationally.
“For the presidential results, it even inserted another layer of collation at a critical level: the regional level to engender another important level of cross-party endorsement – since political parties have organisations at the polling station level, constituency level, regional level and national level. This means that at every important layer of Ghana’s political organisation structure, the EC has established a results tabulation system for broader inter-party scrutiny and endorsement. That is good for transparency and accountability.
“The EC has declared the presidential results and gazzetted the results, as well. Per the laws of the land, the elections are truly over. It does not, however, mean that the outcome is completely done and dusted.
“Any dispute with the results can only be handled at the law courts. There is nothing more the EC can do but to defend its work or otherwise at the law courts for the judges to decide one way or the other.
“The NDC has challenges and the NPP also has challenges. Both parties believe they have legitimate grievances to challenge some of the declared parliamentary results. The NDC is even giving the extra impression that it may even challenge the presidential results; if only it can gather enough evidence to seek to overturn a margin of over half a million votes. We can only wish them well.
“They both know what to do. That is just how a responsible society behaves. Challenge the results but do so within the rules. Even when you have issues, legitimate or not, over how the rules have been applied, you still have no choice but to work within the rules of the game. It is that simple and that is what society expects of its leaders. I am sorry”.
Source: GhanaFeed.Com
News
Kufuor Shows Up At Rawlings’ Funeral In A Wheelchair Despite ‘Frosty’ Relationship
Former President John Agyekum Kufuor showed up in a wheelchair to pay his last respect to his late predecessor, Jerry John Rawlings despite their frigid relationship.
While they both tried in the public space do downplay suggestions of some hostility between them, their public statements were more than enough to convey such thoughts to Ghanaians.
This deep-seated spite between Rawlings and Kufuor who were the first and second presidents of the fourth republic respectively was allegedly birthed by what the late former president thought to be a persecution of his appointees by the Kufuor administration and a withdrawal of his courtesies.
However, former President Kufour put everything behind him to pay his respect and mourn with family of Jerry Rawlings even though he couldn’t walk.
News
Supreme Court Not A Forum For Rehearsed Choreographed Theatricals And Drama – Frank Davies Slams Mahama’s Lawyers
Spokesperson for the President’s legal team in the ongoing election petition hearing at the Supreme Court, Mr Frank Davies has criticised lawyers for the petitioner, John Dramani Mahama for dramatising proceedings at the court.
This comes after the court ordered the petitioner in the ongoing Presidential Election Petition, John Dramani Mahama, to file his witness statements and arguments in response to the preliminary objection raised by the respondents latest by Wednesday, January 27.
The court also expressed dissatisfaction with the conduct of the petitioner and warned it will take appropriate actions against him if he fails to compile with the order to file the witness statements and arguments by the given deadline.
Speaking to the media after proceedings, Mr Frank Davies said “The language used by my good friend Tony Lithur, (a lawyer for the petitioner) this morning was a bit offensive. To say that an application before the court has been predetermined is rather unfortunate coming from my good friend, of course a very senior member of the bar. But the court did not take it kindly to that.
“As it is now, the court has been gracious and very lenient to the petitioner because he has been given another opportunity to correct the wrong. The petitioner has been ordered to file his witness statements by close of day tomorrow which is Wednesday. The petition has been adjourned to the 28th of January for hearing which is Thursday.
“We are all legal practitioners, the Supreme Court is a very busy place. The Supreme Court is not the forum for organized, rehearsed and choreographed theatricals and drama . It is a place for real hard, and serious legal work.
“It is not for flying of literature and dull English devoid of any legal merit. I want to advise my colleagues from the other side that if it hasn’t been broken, don’t attempt to fix it .We are ready for them on Thursday.”
News
God Used Mahama When I Was Almost Retiring To Make Me Win Speakership Position In Parliament – Bagbin Extols NDC Flagbearer
Speaker of the 8th Parliament, Alban Sumana Bagbin has showered praises on former president John Dramani Mahama for approving and supporting him to ascend on the throne of Parliamentary Speakership.
Whilst speaking at a symposium organised by the NDC in memory of the late former President of Ghana, Jerry John Rawlings, Bagbin noted that he had set his eyes on Parliamentary civil society by creating the Institute of Parliamentary Affairs Africa and was selecting a team for his work until the John Mahama-led team was used by God to elevate him.
“I thank all of you again. And I thank the Almighty of God for this gift. It is through you that I have been elected as Speaker of Parliament for the country now. I am so so grateful,” Bagbin said.
He added: “God smiled on me and used all of you led by His Excellency John Dramani Mahama…. I couldn’t sleep. But some spirit descended on me. That’s why that day I promised you that we were going to win this battle.”
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