NDC defends Zanetor over non-registration

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has said they have not breached the constitution by allowing parliamentary nominees who are not registered voters to contest in last year’s primary.

This follows the legal tussle in the Klottey Korley constituency over Dr. Zanetor Rawlings’ eligibility as a parliamentary nominee, following her election last year.

Incumbent Member of Parliament Nii Armah Ashietey and Nii Johnson Coleman, who both contested Zanetor, have filed a joint suit at an Accra High Court challenging her legitimacy to contest for a parliamentary seat under the 1992 constitution since she is not a registered voter.

It has also emerged that the party’s parliamentary nominee for the Abuakwa North Constituency in the Eastern Region is also not a registered voter and that, this may have accounted for the party’s decision to pull out of the race.

But in an interview with Citi News, a Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, Koku Anyidoho, said the party did not err in allowing Zanetor Rawlings to contest because she produced a valid party ID card.

“As I speak to you, in the NDC, the young lady is not the only person who has this issue. It is only unfortunate that in her case or in her constituency, some people want to make an issue out of it; but we are saying as a political party, we did not err in allowing her to contest the primary because she produced a valid party ID card.”

He explained that nominees who are not registered will have the opportunity to register in April when the Electoral Commission begins limited registration.

“Because of the political party, when we were going for our primaries last year as we have done in previous years, what we need is that you must be a bonafide member of the party, actively involved and belonging to a branch and our branches are not only limited to Ghana. We have external process then we go through vetting process, if you pass through the vetting process you are allowed to stand for the primaries.

“If you win the primaries we know that in the following year the opportunity will come for you to cure the ailment of not being on the previous register through the process of limited registration period, so the EC has set out the date in April this year that the limited voters registration will take place and within that period whoever does not have his or her name on the register that we used for 2012 has the opportunity to get his or her name onto the register that will be used for 2016. “

It appears the NDC Candidate-elect for Abuakwa North, Anthony Osei Gyimah, is in the same situation as Dr. Zanetor Agyemang Rawlings.

Citi News can confirm that the Osei Gyimah is not a registered voter in the constituency.

This means he is not eligible to participate in the March 29 by-election, necessitated by the death of New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP, Joseph Boakye Danquah-Adu.