Reconsider disqualification of candidates - Group to EC

A group calling itself National Youth for Peace (NYP), has admonished the Electoral Commission (EC) to reconsider it’s decision in disqualifying the 13 candidates in the upcoming presidential election.

The group believes the disqualification is a recipe for disaster hence, the need for the EC to consider the peace of this country and the threat and tension, the action poses.

Head of Communications at the EC, Eric Kofi Dzakpasu has ruled out any possibility of consideration for the disqualified candidates.

He said, the EC acted lawfully and cannot be faulted. He indicated that, the requirements were explicit and those that failed to meet them, cannot be considered.

But CEO of Youth for Peace Mr Eric Baffour Nyarko, says the EC should not take an entrenched position on the matter considering the fallout from their disqualification. The EC on Monday qualified on four candidates to stand as candidates for the presidential election.

They are, Nana Akufo Addo, NPP, President John Dramani Mahama, NDC, Ivor Greenstreet, CPP and Jacob Osei Yeboah, an independent candidate. Among the disqualified candidates on Monday are two-time aspirant and businessman Papa Kwesi Nduom, and former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings.

The Electoral Commission Chairperson, Charlotte Osei announced at a news conference that those disqualified failed to meet the necessary requirements in filing their nomination forms.

Below is the full statement from the group

The National Youth for Peace is humbly appealing to the Electoral Commission (EC) and the other stakeholders in election to relook the decision of disqualifying candidates of some political parties from contesting the impending elections in December.

This is because; such decision can be a threat to peace and security in the country. All over the world, people who normally turn into rebel leaders are those who are not given the mandate to share their views to the electorate.

The various political parties have spent a lot of money in their campaign and some of them had their properties sold in order to run their party. In this case, how does the EC expect these people to put their political carrier together again? NYFP is suggesting to the EC to put a penalty fine on those parties who could not fill their documents in due time and let them correct those mistakes.

We are therefore calling on the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), Centre for Democratic Development Ghana (CDD), National Peace Council, the National Chief Imam, traditional leaders, to act swiftly on this issue to avoid tension.