GJA contestants cry foul

Some candidates vying for various positions in the upcoming elections of the Ghana Journalists’ Association (GJA) have alleged that the polls could be rigged.

The troubled contestants namely Llyod Evans, Aspiring President; Francis Kokutse, Aspiring Vice President; Vance Azu, Aspiring Organizing Secretary; and Kofi Yeboah, in a press release they jointly signed, attributed their fear to what they termed questionable actions and inactions of the Electoral Commission ( EC).

“We, the undersigned bonafide members of the Ghana Journalists Association and candidates in the 2017 GJA national elections, wish to bring to the attention of members of the Association and the general public certain worrying developments that have the tendency to undermine the elections.”

“We have been compelled to blow the whistle now in order to thwart any diabolical attempt to subvert the sovereign will of GJA members at the polls,” the release said.

According to the release, “We wish to indicate that some actions and inactions of the EC have raised concerns about trust in, and the credibility of, the electoral processes.”

“A few of the questionable actions and inactions of the EC articulated here under may suffice: given the fact that the voters register, which contains the list of members in good standing, is the only major outstanding issue that needs redress, we believe the issues could have been addressed promptly for the election to be held in a short time.”

“So when the EC Chairman indicated at the first Inter-Candidate Election Committee (ICEC) meeting that the elections would be held in three months’ time, we disagreed and proposed September 12 or thereabout, but that date was dismissed as to short to the time,” the release.

“Later, the EC submitted a timetable which proposed September 29, 2017 as the date for the elections. We hope the elections will happen on that proposed date,” it added.

According to the candidates, “Our hope is, however, shaken by the piecemeal manner in which the EC is approaching the agenda for the elections.”

The aggrieved candidates previously dragged the Association to an Accra High Court (General Jurisdiction), over their disqualification from the national election of the Association, which was initially slated for March 2017.

The case was however withdrawn from the court and reportedly settled between the parties.

“We also want to put on record that at the first ICEC meeting held on August 1, 2017, a consensus was reached to issue a press statement to explain the outcome of the legal litigation and its implication.”

“The EC has not caused that press statement to be issued up to date, allowing some candidates to go about peddling falsehood in their campaigns,” it added.