Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor is the Member of Parliament for South Dayi constituency
The Member of Parliament (MP) for South Dayi Constituency, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, expressed his dissatisfaction with the Electoral Commission’s (EC’s) approach to disqualifying certain candidates from the upcoming elections.
His critique came in response to the disqualification of several aspirants due to errors in their nomination forms, sparking questions about the transparency and fairness of the process.
“So what are the criteria for disqualifying these people? State it clearly in a formal communication because they have power under the law to appeal that decision, and the law says within seven days,” Dafeamekpor remarked, emphasizing that the EC should have been clearer in explaining the reasons behind these disqualifications.
He further suggested on Newsfile on Joy News monitored by MyNewsGh.com, that the process appeared arbitrary: “Whimsically in the sense that what exactly is the basis of their disqualification? The nomination is just a process; it cannot be a criterion for disqualification.”
Dafeamekpor pointed out that the EC, as a constitutionally established body, has the duty to ensure that disqualifications are made according to clear criteria, as outlined in the constitution.
He asserted, “Your mandate as an Electoral Commission constitutionally setup is to give effect to the criteria set out in the constitution. So when you give out a checklist, you must be very clear as to what the people should do.”
In a further critique of the EC’s handling of the issue, Dafeamekpor noted that while some candidates were invited to correct errors on their forms, the process was inconsistent.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for South Dayi Constituency, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, expressed his dissatisfaction with the Electoral Commission’s (EC’s) approach to disqualifying certain candidates from the upcoming elections.
His critique came in response to the disqualification of several aspirants due to errors in their nomination forms, sparking questions about the transparency and fairness of the process.
“So what are the criteria for disqualifying these people? State it clearly in a formal communication because they have power under the law to appeal that decision, and the law says within seven days,” Dafeamekpor remarked, emphasizing that the EC should have been clearer in explaining the reasons behind these disqualifications.
He further suggested on Newsfile on Joy News monitored by MyNewsGh.com, that the process appeared arbitrary: “Whimsically in the sense that what exactly is the basis of their disqualification? The nomination is just a process; it cannot be a criterion for disqualification.”
Dafeamekpor pointed out that the EC, as a constitutionally established body, has the duty to ensure that disqualifications are made according to clear criteria, as outlined in the constitution.
He asserted, “Your mandate as an Electoral Commission constitutionally setup is to give effect to the criteria set out in the constitution. So when you give out a checklist, you must be very clear as to what the people should do.”
In a further critique of the EC’s handling of the issue, Dafeamekpor noted that while some candidates were invited to correct errors on their forms, the process was inconsistent.
“I heard him say that they invited some persons back to make certain corrections; that is what they’re supposed to do,” he acknowledged but added that this should be standard practice for all candidates to ensure fairness.
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