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| Image Credit: 3News.com |
Pressure group, Fix the Country Movement, has petitioned
the President against the Chair of the Electoral Commission (EC) Jean Mensa
over the issues of the people of Santrokofi, Akpafu, Lolobi and Likpe (SALL) in
the Oti region.
They are invoking the constitutional processes for the removal
of the Chair and Deputies of the Electoral Commission.
The petitioners comprise lawyers, academics, students, public
and private sector employees, unemployed and homeless Ghanaians, and cuts
across all political persuasions and ethnicity.
The petitioners come from different towns and regions across
the country and includes Ghanaians in the diaspora.
Grounds for the Petition
“The petition has been brought in connection with the
intentional denial of the right to vote of the people of Santrokofi, Akpafu,
Lololi and Likpe in the 2020 general parliamentary elections.
“The petitioners assert that the actions of the impugned
officials, if considered in context and in light of their preceding and
subsequent conduct, meets the threshold of stated misbehaviour and, or
incompetence as required under Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution for the
removal of these officials,” it said.
Why have the Petitioners taken this step?
“In presenting this petition, the Petitioners have chosen to
place their trust in a 1992 Constitution they believe to still be alive.
“The Petitioners have faith that the normal constitutional
processes contemplated by the Constitution to avenge infractions against it and
our democracy will be upheld without fear nor favour; and that their standing
as mere citizens of this Republic does not disable them from obtaining justice,
in preserve of our Constitution.”
**What are the Next Steps? **
“The Supreme Court has held that the President on receipt of a
petition brought under Article 146 acts only as a conveyor belt, who has no
choice but to transmit the petition to the Chief Justice.
“The Chief Justice then has the duty to determine whether a
prima facie case has been established in accordance with law. After that, a
Committee consisting of three Judges and two others appointed by the Chief
Justice will be put in place to investigate the petition.
“We expect that as the President has done in previous times,
he will act with necessary dispatch and have the necessary democratic integrity
to not to frustrate efforts to protect our Constitution and constitutional rights.
**Public release of the Content of the Petition.”
“The Supreme Court has in a string of decisions held that the
contents of a petition brought under Article 146 of the Constitution cannot be
made public in order to protect the privacy interest of the Article 146
holders.
“While the Petitioners find it bizarre that the Supreme Court
will aid public office holders to assert non-existent personal privacy
interests in grave matters of public interest and in connection with the
performance of their duties, they have reticently agreed to embargo the release
of the full content of the petition.”
Signed: Oliver Barker-Vormawor [Lead Petitioner]
Media Contacts:1.
Benjamin Darko [0244220075]2.
Oliver Barker-Vormawor
Source: 3News.com
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