Demand mental certificates from presidential aspirants - PPP to EC

The Executive Secretary of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Richard Nii Armah, has advised the Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC) to demand a mental certificate from individuals who aspire to contest the presidential race in the December 7 polls.

He wants this to be made mandatory to determine the mental health status of individuals who wish to be president in Ghana.

He insisted that before any person files for the presidential nomination, the person must have a mental health certificate to prove his or her mental status.

He noted EC is not a psychiatric hospital to determine the mental status of persons who want to contest in the presidential race hence the need to make it mandatory in demanding certificates to that effect from aspiring presidential candidates.

“I personally believe that before anyone can contest in the presidential race, the person has to be sent to Pantang or any Psychiatric hospital to determine his or her mental status in meeting the demand of the 1992 constitution of who becomes president of Ghana.”

The law stipulates that before anyone files for a presidential race, the person must be 40 years and above and of a sound mind.

Meanwhile, the EC’s office is not a psychiatric hospital to determine, he stated.

He quickly revealed PPP is not demanding a mental certificate from individuals who aspire to be the party’s 2020 flagbearer but would want the party leadership to consider that in the near future.

Commenting on PPP’s flagbearership race, Nii Armah said the party’s leadership is poised to choose someone who is eligible and has good standing in winning the 2020 presidential elections on December 7.

He believes the absence of Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom in PPP’s flagbearership race will not affect the party’s chances in the general elections because whoever would be chosen to lead the party would have the equal capacity in winning hearts of the Ghanaian electorates to massively vote for the party.