The Electoral Commission has told Nana Konadu to go to hell

By Dr. Michael J.K. Bokor

Folks, the EC has dug in and reiterated its stance not to rescind its decision regarding the disqualification of Presidential candidates who flouted the electoral law in filing their nomination forms. Aggrieved as these disqualified candidates are, nothing from them to the EC seems to be paving the way for the EC to change its stance to accommodate them.

So far, Nana Konadu Agyemang-Rawlings (NDP) and Paa Kwesi Nduom (PPP) are the most vocal of these embittered "failures". No amount of threat of court action against the EC is softening the ground for them. It has remained resolute, which I commend highly.

Now, the EC has told Nana Konadu to go to hell with her tantrums and what else. (See http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/You-can-go-to-hell-EC-tells-Konadu-477741). And to hell she will go!! The gods have all along wanted to kill her by making her mad first. Now that she has been shot down twice by the EC (first, under Dr. Afari Gyan, and second, under Charlotte Osei), she should know that her political sun is setting really fast. Will she learn any useful lesson not to tempt Fate?

Interestingly, Rawlings has kept a respectable distance from all that is unfolding. I wait to see what he and Nana Konadu will do in supporting or damning the pursuit of Dr. Zanetor, their daughter, who has chosen to step into their shoes on the ticket of the NDC.

On his part, Nduom is insisting that he will go ahead to campaign in his capacity as the founder and leader of the PPP to support the party's Parliamentary candidates, regardless of his disqualification. A good move to make to insert his party in the national political equation.

Claims that he was disqualified because his party had sued the EC over the filing fee or because the EC was vindictive are absurd, though.

The way Nduom has taken on the NPP's Akufo-Addo in this context too is interesting. He claims that Akufo-Addo didn't duly complete the filling of the nomination form, especially in the part on asset declaration, but was glossed over. Discrimination? I don't know.

What I know is that by choosing to concentrate on his party's Parliamentary candidates and to persist in campaigning, Nduom is giving us another perspective from which to view our democratic process. Good job there, I daresay.

How about Nana Konadu and the other disqualified candidates? They remain self-centred as usual, even the GCPP's Henry Lartey and the APC's Hassan Ayariga have vigorously brought in the comical aspects. Imagine Henry Lartey saying that he now understands why the NPP opposed the appointment of Mrs. Osei as the EC Chair (and why Kennedy Agyapong would bad-mouth her as selling her body for the position)!

And Hassan Ayariga for insulting her as "foolish, stupid" only to turn round sharply in the same breath to regret for going that low. He ate back his own vomit. Such a political dog has no place in our contemporary politics.

Those among them expressing "nostalgia" for the former EC Chair (Dr. Afari Gyan) because they regard him as more competent than Mrs. Osei come across as pitiable. They can cry over spilt milk all; they like. Nothing will change for them to contest the elections.

Now that the EC has turned attention to the Parliamentary candidates and is weeding out the undesirables, it seems to be carving a niche for itself. So far, six kicked out from Tema and Kpone katamanso, three in the Asutifi North and South (Brong-Ahafo) and many more to go for flouting the electoral law regarding the filing of nomination forms.

I urge the EC to continue cleaning the slate so only those fit to contest the elections are presented to the electorate on Election Day. Too many cooks end up spoiling the broth. I shall return...

Writer's e-mail: mjbokor@yahoo.com