EC tasked to ensure compliance to electoral laws

Accra, Nov. 27, GNA - The Electoral Commission (EC) has been asked to ensure the strict compliance to the country's electoral law in the conduct of the District Assembly elections, scheduled for 28th December this year. Chairman of Odododiodioo Constituency of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Daniel Nii Okai, made the call in an interview with GNA on Saturday.

He said the delay, which characterized the passing of a law by Parliament to re-align some electoral areas in the country should not be a pretext for flouting the electoral laws. Mr Okai said that following the re-alignment of the boundaries of some electoral areas and the creation of new ones, some aspiring Assembly Members were crossing electoral boundaries where they reside and registered as voters into new areas, to file their nomination to contest the elections. He said this was wrong since one could not be a registered voter in one area and contest an election in another area without the transfer of their votes.

Mr Okai who was a government appointee of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly said, "Even then one cannot contest in the new area when they are resident in another since one must be resident in the area they want to contest for at least six months prior to the holding of an election. "This is wrong and the EC should clarify the situation before the elections. The country's electoral law is about residence and nothing else." Mr Okai called on the EC to ensure the total compliance to the country's electoral law to make the District Assembly election an instrument for grass roots mobilization and participation in good governance. 27 Nov. 10