Court cases make us happy – EC

The Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana is glad that aggrieved persons and political parties have resorted to the law courts to resolve any grievances.

EC Boss Charlotte Osei who disclosed this indicated that it was only right for such persons to seek legal redress because the rule of law must be adhered to.

“… Four other candidates have gone to court [in addition to the PPP's Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom]. It is proper for them to go to court. It is the rule of law. If you are not happy with the decisions of the commission, you go to court, you do not go to the streets so the commission is happy with that,” She told BBC Africa’s Akwasi Sarpong on Thursday, November 3.

Mrs Osei was responding to the numerous court cases against the commission concerning the disqualification of 13 presidential aspirants.

She was of the view that the EC has not erred in taking the decision to disqualify the candidates.

The EC Chair was confident that all legal issues regarding the December 7 election process will be resolved in time and not hamper the poll process.

“We will not allow law suits to subvert the process and so we are going to get a definitive ruling from the Supreme Court likely this week. At the latest, early next week, but in the meantime, we have started the process of printing the parliamentary ballot papers to make up some of the time and so we are in a good place to meet the December 7 date,” she added.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has granted the EC’s request for abridgement of time in the case in which the commission is seeking to quash a ruling by an Accra High Court in connection with the presidential nomination of Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom, flag bearer of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP).

A ruling by the High Court last week compelled the commission to allow Dr Nduom to correct errors he made on his nomination forms for which reason he was disqualified from the race.

Following the EC’s prayer to the highest court of the land to hear the case as quickly as possible, the Supreme Court on Wednesday, 2 November gave the lawyers of the PPP up to 12noon on Thursday, November 3 to file their statement of case.

The substantive case will be heard tomorrow, Friday, November 4.