Court stops NDC demo

A decision by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to demonstrate against the Electoral Commission (EC) over a purported district based online registration of voters is in doubt after a High Court ordered the opposition party to stop the protest.

The Ashanti Regional police command, which is expected to provide security for the protest march, has won an injunction after pointing to logistical challenges due to this year’s Ramadan festivities.

The Ashanti Regional chapter of the NDC had served notice to the police to go on a protest march on June 3, 2019 in opposition to the “intended district based online registration” of voters by the EC.

The party said in a statement signed by its Regional Secretary, Kwame Zu that the action, dubbed the “Ye Npene/Baa Mu Yada,” is meant to dissuade the EC from going ahead with the plan.

The NDC indicated that the plan, if allowed to be carried though, would disenfranchise many Ghanaians eligible for registration.

According to the statement, the march against the EC would begin from Aboabo Post Office through to the principal streets of Kumasi and end at the Ashanti Regional office where a petition would be delivered.

The NDC said the protest march would also be used to denounce what it described as a “blatant attempt to torpedo the electoral laws of the country, charging its supporters and sympathizers to wear black or red attire to underscore the severity of the said plan.

Counsel for the police, Kwaku Boateng argued the scheduled protest against the EC in Kumasi would over-stretch the logistics of the law enforcers, which the court agreed.

It therefore prohibited the action on the scheduled date, asserting that the constitutional right to go on a protest or a demonstration by any individual or group is enjoined with the right to police protection.

It ordered the police to engage the NDC in a meeting to re-schedule the demonstration after the Ramadan festivities.