DI reschedules symposium on election petition

The Danquah Institute has been compelled to reschedule its symposium on the Election Petition due to the refusal of the British Council to host the event because of what it describes as the “politically suggestive” nature of the event.

It is recalled that the Danquah Institute had originally scheduled the event to take place on Monday, 16th September, a date the Institute had set because of the assurances it received from the British Council about the availability of its auditorium on the said date.

The symposium, in partnership with other civil society groups, was to enable jurists and other legal and statistics experts to critique the decision of the Supreme Court in the presidential election petition filed by Nana Akufo-Addo and two others against the election of President John Mahama in the December 2012 election.

However, in a letter sent to the Danquah Institute on Tuesday, 10th of September, from a corporate affairs officer of the British Council, Anita Odei-Osafo, the British Council stated: “Following your request to use British Council’s auditorium for a symposium on Monday, September 16, 2013, we regret to inform you, we are unable to offer you the use of our premises for the following reasons;

Our facility rental policy states we do not, “… permit politically-suggestive activity on the premises at any time. British Council reserves the right to cancel immediately any hire that breaches this regulation.”

We are sorry for this disappointing news and hope you are able to find a more suitable venue in time for your event.”

The Danquah Institute recalls that “Culture of Silence” lectures, against dictatorship, during the PNDC era by the late Professor Adu Boahen were held at the British Council. In recent times, the Danquah Institute, under the Presidency of the late John Atta-Mills, also held a symposium on STX housing deal, supported by World Bank, also at the British Council.

A new date and venue for the programme will be communicated to the general public in due course. The Danquah Institute regrets any inconveniences this might have caused.