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0 The National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Eastern Region has rejected the Electoral Commission’s (EC) position on four controversial parliamentary seats, claiming that the EC is misrepresenting the facts and backtracking on the Constitutional Instrument that governs elections.
In a press release issued on Friday, December 20, 2024, Regional Secretary Baba Jamal Konney criticized the EC’s stance, particularly pointing out contradictions in their actions since the 2020 elections.
He questioned whether Jean Mensa, the EC Chairperson, has the authority to determine whether results were declared under duress, asking, “Does it lie in her preview to determine whether the declaration of results was under duress or otherwise? Is Jean Mensa now a court of competent jurisdiction?”
Baba Jamal further provided clarity on the four contested seats in the region:
Fanteakwa North: The Returning Officer declared Hon. Apaw Wiredu Harun, the NDC’s parliamentary candidate, as the winner. However, the NPP and the EC allegedly pressured the Deputy Returning Officer to illegally redeclare the results in favor of the NPP. The NDC maintains that the original declaration by the Returning Officer, who had the statutory authority, should stand.
Nsawam: An injunction was served to halt the EC’s process, yet Jean Mensa reportedly failed to mention that the issue is still pending in court.
Akwatia: The EC conducted the collation of results with only NPP agents and their parliamentary candidate, excluding NDC agents and their candidate, which the NDC argues undermines fairness.
Suhum: Despite serious issues with the results from six polling stations, the EC reportedly ignored these discrepancies and went ahead with the declaration. The NDC argues that this contrasts with the EC’s usual refusal to accept incomplete results in other constituencies.
In her last press conference, the EC Chair, Jean Mensa, stated that the results of nine constituencies have been upheld, with some requiring re-collation and others needing to be re-declared but needs adequate police in place to do so, a position the NDC disagrees with.
The post ‘Is Jean Mensa now a court of competent jurisdiction?’ – NDC questions EC Chair’s handling of disputed parl. seats first appeared on 3News.
