The district level elections announced to take off this Tuesday, 17 January, 2023 have suffered a setback following a court injunction granted by the Koforidua High Court.
The order is restraining the respondent, the Electoral Commission and its agents or officers from conducting the District Level Elections in Lower Manya Krobo until the final determination of the case.
The court decision follows applications filed by two residents of Lower Manya Krobo, Michael Tetteh, and Angel Agyemang in what they claim was a violation of their constitutional right to exercise their vote in the upcoming elections by the Electoral Commission, pursuant to article 33 of the 1992 constitution of Ghana.
The applicants also say the commission has failed to conduct a registration exercise to enable them to register after they (applicants) have attained 18 years.
Paragraph 8 of the affidavit for applicants cited by Trust News Hub says, “that since turning 18, we have not had any opportunity to register in order to vote or be qualified to be elected as Assembly Members in the Lower Manya Krobo District Assembly.”
Read the injunction here
In line with article 45(a) of the constitution, the Electoral Commission is mandated to compile the register of voters and revise it at such periods as may be determined by law.
According to the writ, Michael and Agyeman are seeking the court to order the Electoral Commission from conducting the elections until the commission conducts the voters registration exercise, which will franchise the applicants to take part in the elections.
Read the Court writ here
But ahead of the injunction, Trust 98.3FM News Hub has cited a petition signed by the President of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs and overlord of Manya Krobo Traditional Council, dated 12 December 2022, asking the EC to reconsider mainstreaming the district level elections in Lower Manya Krobo with the national routine.
Referencing, the petition said, the District Levels Elections in Lower Manya Krobo deviated in 2010, when a case involving same election was brought before the Supreme Court in Accra over the creation of new electoral areas and designation unit by the Electoral Commission.
“…we wish to kindly plead and appeal to the Electoral Commission of Ghana to reconsider its decision in the conduct of the Lower Manaya Krobo District Level Elections in January, 2023 to enable the district joins the nationwide District Level Elections in 2023.”
A total of 127 male candidates vying to represent their electoral areas at the Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Assembly and 280 Unit Committee level candidates have their fate to be decided by the Koforidua High Court, come January 24, 2023, after a vigorous campaign.
Click the petition read to the Traditional Council document
Source: www.trustfmonlin.com/Trust98.3FM
