General News of 2013-02-22

Mahama’s EC comments undermine case – Gloria Akufo

A member of the legal team of the New Patriotic Party, Gloria Akufo, has raised concerns over President John Mahama’s adulation of the performance of the Electoral Commission in the 2012 general elections.

According to her the President “undermined the proceedings in court because these are issues that are pending in court; whether or not the elections were valid. To commend them [EC] is predetermining the issue before the Supreme Court.”

Lawyer Akufo said the comments of the President were not only improper but in contempt of the Supreme Court hearing the Presidential Election petition.

“I have no problem with the President commending the Electoral Commission for what they did in the past before 2012. My concern is about the 2012 elections of which the Presidential election is being challenged in court.”

“The subject matter is about certain irregularities and malpractices that took place in the election 2012. That raises serious issues not only about the credibility of the elections but the competence of the Electoral Commission,” she noted.

Madam Akufo added that since the President's appointment was being challenged in court, his use of the State of the Nation platform to commend the EC was "very wrong.”

In her opinion the nation's laws dictate that “When a matter is pending in court, you shall not make pronouncements that will tend to predetermine the matter in court.”