Editorial by Ghanaian Times: Let today’s voting be peaceful!

Today, the electorate in the Assin North Constituency vote in a by-election to choose a new Member of Parliament (MP).

The by-election follows an order by the country’s Supreme Court (SC) on May 17, this year, to the leadership of Par­liament to expunge the name of James Gyakye Quayson from its records as the MP for the Assin North Constituency in the Central Region.

It is recalled that on July 28, 2021, the Cape Coast High Court upheld a petition brought before it against the election of Quayson in the December 7, 2020 parliamen­tary elections as the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Assin North Constitu­ency in the Central Region.

Consequently, the court de­clared Mr. Quayson’s election as null and void on the basis that he owed allegiance to another country other than Ghana, contrary to Article 94(2) of the 1992 Constitution.

Mr. Quayson petitioned the judgement on the basis that at the time of filing his nomination for the election he had formally renounced his Canadian citizenship and only awaiting the Certificate of Renunciation to prove as evidence.

However, the Court of Appeal in Cape Coast struck out the appeal by the Assin North MP in March 2022 for non-compliance with court procedures.

The case ended at the SC and the apex court sort of upheld the earlier decisions of the High and Appeal Courts in Cape Coast and its unanimous decision has birthed today’s by-election.

It is interesting to note that the same Gyakye Quayson whose name was expunged from the list of MPs is con­testing as the NDC candidate against two freshers – Charles Opoku of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Bernice En­yonam Sefenu, who is repre­senting the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG).

Elections in this country constitute a great issue and phenomenon as political par­ties and their elements try all they can to help their parties become victorious.

The party in power at the time, which has so far been NDC or NPP, over-spend in election years, for example, to undertake projects to attract more votes to retain power.

Observation so far shows that over-spending is taken way further in an attempt to win by-elections.

Since the country resumed democratic elections in 1992 after three foiled republics since 1957, there have been eight general elections and even though the NPP boy­cotted the 1992 parliamentary elections, each of the par­ties have won four general elections in spite of all their machinations.

However, there have been 31 by-elections, including the Kumawu one this year but excluding today’s, which makes the number 32.

The records show that so far the ruling NPP has won 16, the NDC 14 and Independent one (John Setuni Achuliwor for Navrongo Central in 1995).

By-elections are usually won by the party whose seat is being contested, so today’s by-election is a big test for the NPP.

Some are saying that it is like a mid-term election and if the NPP snatches the seat from the NDC, it will be an indication that it can break the eight-year cycle of rule that has been enjoyed by both NPP and NDC.

So far the campaigns by both parties have been non-violent, which is an honour to the par­ties and the country.

Usually, the voting day records incidents such as what was recorded in Ayawaso West Wuogon in 2019, but we be­lieve the country has gone past that as events showed in the recent by-election in Kumawu.

We therefore appeal for peaceful and fair voting today to affirm the country’s creden­tial as a giant of democracy in Africa.