PNC cautions Judiciary against intervention in politics

Accra, Jan. 3, GNA - Dr Edward Nasigre Mahama, People's National Convention (PNC) Presidential Candidate in Election 2008 on Friday called on the Judiciary to refrain from intervening in the political process prematurely.

He said the Judiciary should allow the Electoral Commission (EC) to be truly independent in the discharge of its duties until the elections have been declared and electoral disputes brought before the Judiciary for resolution.

Dr Mahama made the call in a statement issued in Accra. He called on Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, New Patriotic Party (NPP) Presidential Candidate in Election 2008 to respect the decision of the Electoral Commissioner and concede defeat.

Dr Mahama said "As a candidate in the Presidential Elections held on December 7, 2008, I can safely predict that Professor John Evans Atta-Mills, NDC Presidential Candidate would win the Presidential Elections after the vote in the Tain Constituency. I therefore call on Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to respect the decision of the Electoral Commissioner and concede defeat in that event."

He commended the Electoral Commissioner and staff for maintaining their independence and sense of fair-play during Election 2008 and called on them to continue during the last lap of the exercise in the Tain Constituency.

Dr Mahama urged them to execute their constitutional mandate to conduct Presidential Elections in Ghana to their lawful and logical conclusion and declare the results.

He appealed to contestants in the Presidential Election Run-off to accept the results declared by the Electoral Commissioner and use mechanisms laid down by law for contesting results if they had concrete evidence that there were serious irregularities.