Don't trivialize disqualification of candidates - EC

Head of Communications at the Electoral Commission (EC), has asked critics of the institution to stop trivializing the reasons for the disqualification of the 13 presidential candidates.

He explained that, the law is clear and so, people should not trivialize the issues and claim that, there were administrative. The EC last week Monday, disqualified some 13 presidential candidates from contesting in this year's election for failing to met the requirements.

Although some of the disqualified aspirants have threatened legal action against the Commission, Mr. Dzapkasu says it [EC] followed the law. In an interview with Nyankonton Mu Nsem, the Head of Communications indicated that, the public should rather commend the Commission for ensuring that, the right thing was done instead of the negative comments.

He said, the CI 94 was explicit and the EC further explained to the candidates the requirements of the law and if they have failed in doing as required, they cannot blame anyone.

He added, it would be unfair on the part of the candidates who qualified and also unfair on the processes through which the forms were accepted.

Likening the process to an examination, he said, no student would fail his or her exams if they were asked to make corrections on their papers when an examiner finds that out. ''If we should allow the candidates to make corrections on their forms, then we have not been fair to the process and the candidates that met the requirements.

So we shouldn't trivialize some and consider some as mere administrative errors. We [EC] deserve commendation for having done a diligent work like a referee. But, interesting enough, the argument people are making is that, the errors are minor errors and so, we should reconsider them.

That would be unfair to the process and candidates that met the requirements,'' he stressed.