CPP dragged to court

Four leading members of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) in the Central region, have filed a suit at the Cape Coast High Court for perpetual injunction restraining the leaders from doing anything contrary to the party’s constitution.

The Writ of Summons made available to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Saturday, indicates that Mr Kwesi Addae of Enyan Denyira, Mr Ato Maclean of Cape Coast, Ms Augustina Dadzie of Cape Coast and Mr Ebow Dawson of Assin Akrofuom, filed the suit against the Central Regional Chairman and the National Chairman.

The statement of claim states that: “the Plaintiffs are registered members of the CPP and holding various executive offices in their various constituencies notable Ajumako, Cape Coast and Assin South Constituencies in the Central region.

The Defendants are the Regional and National Executives of the party; the Plaintiffs say that sometime back, the second Defendant (National Executives) opened the gates for constituency elections to be held in all the Constituencies of the party and slated 16 March 2011; contrary to the fact the elections were scheduled to be held in September 2011 as enjoined by the Party Constitution.

“It is contended by the Plaintiffs that the second Defendant had no power to call-in the elections earlier without the confirmation of the National Congress.

“The Plaintiffs say that the first Defendant (Central Regional Chairman) failed to notify all interested members of the Party about the intended elections by failing to file notices about the intended elections and distributed filling nomination forms to some persons, who described themselves as being members of a group – Movement of Social Justice.

“The Plaintiffs say that on learning of these developments, they had cause to petition the National Executive Council by a letter dated 28th March 2011; The Plaintiffs say that the second Defendant on receipt of the letter above stated reacted through the General Secretary of the Party dated 5th April 2011 in which they prayed for time to deal with the issues raised in the Petition.

“The Plaintiffs say that the Second Defendant called for a meeting with all concerned and at the meeting stood to his grounds that the elections shall proceed be it what, and confirmed other offices elected by the wrongful procedure.

“The Plaintiffs say that if the Defendants are not restrained, the CPP shall be taken over by the Movement for Social Justice”.

The Plaintiffs are therefore seeking for an order directed against the Defendants to follow the proper legal procedure for the pending elections as enjoined by the Constitution of the party.

An order directed against the Defendants to ban the Movement for Social Justice as a splinter organization being formed within the party.

The writ was filed on behalf of the Plaintiffs by Lawyer Kofi Lamptey of Adastra Chambers, Cape Coast on April 27.

Some leading members in the Ashanti and Eastern regions have also indicated intentions to go to court against the procedure for holding Constituency elections in the region