Minority in dirty confrontation with Police

The minority National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Parliament clashed with police yesterday when they attempted to present a petition to the Electoral Commission (EC) on the Techiman South Parliamentary Elections result. 

The Minority breached two police barricades but were finally halted with multiple police vehicles including hot water cannons at the junction to the Commission’s offices. 

The police also prevented the group from submitting its petition to the EC, which the Minority described as a sad development for democracy.

Minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu, who addressed the media after the EC failed to meet the group indicated the petition is to demand the EC to properly and openly  collate the Techiman South Constituency Parliamentary and Presidential Elections Results from all the 266 Polling stations in accordance with the law. 

According to him, pursuant to regulation 43 (2) of C.I. 127, the endorsed writ, gazette notification and notice to Clerk of Parliament be amended accordingly to reflect the true state of affairs.

He explained that the NDC Caucus of the current Parliament is fully aligned with the contention of the Flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama and the National Executive Committee of the NDC that the results of the Presidential Elections stands rejected and therefore awaiting further instruction from the party’s leadership in that regard. 

He said, “We have received and studied a petition from our Parliamentary Candidate and winner of the Techiman South Parliamentary Election, Christopher Beyere Baasongti on the happenings in Techiman South.”

“The Pesidential and Parliamentary elections conducted nationally on the 7th of December 2020, the Returning Officer for Techiman South Constituency in the Bono East Region could not collate the results for both the Presidential and the Parliamentary candidates after the Polling Stations results had been counted and all Ballot Boxes sent to the Collation Centre in accordance with C.I. 127,” he said. 

The Minority leader averred that following the insecurity that led to dispersing of the party’s agents and the fact that the collation center was changed without prior notice to the NDC, no collation could have taken place that day. 

“In such circumstances, neither the NDC Candidate nor any of his Agents were informed or invited for the purpose of collating the Presidential and Parliamentary elections results at a later date.” 

“To all intents and purposes, no collation could have taken place and no collation took place in accordance with the provisions of C.I. 127,” he stated. 

He explained that as at the time of the petition, no copy of the Parliamentary or Presidential Results Sheets has been furnished the NDC Candidates, or their representatives or counting agents. 

Mr Haruna Iddrisu in an earlier interview with Joyfm said  NDC MPs will boycott the inauguration of President Akufo-Addo for a second term if a re-collation of the parliamentary results in Techiman South is not done ,adding that the declaration of the seat in favour of the NPP’s Martin Agyei Mensah Korsah is fraudulent and they will not allow it to stand.

“We are standing in denial by collusion of fraud by the Electoral Commission and the NPP. It is not acceptable, you know they are just joking with Techiman South, add it to their number and claim a false 137 which they don’t deserve their 136,” Mr Iddrisu said.

In an interview, MP for Ningo Prampram, Sam Nartey. George, expressed disappointment at the turn of events with the police and stressed their action was uncalled for. 

The Minority, he said, by a letter informed the Commission and the police of its decision to present the petition and noted the plot to halt them was a slap on Ghana’s democracy. 

Member for Tamale North, Alhassan Suhuyini Sayibu, stated that the refusal of the EC to receive the petition would compel the Minority and the NDC to resort to other avenues to make themselves heard. 

Every lover of democracy, he said, should be concerned that Ghana, which serves as the beacon of democracy for Africa is experiencing such challenge after a general election.

Source: Mypublisher24.com