The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Jean Mensa has rendered an apology to the Minority in Parliament for the Commission’s inability to receive their petition.
In a letter addressed to the Minority leader, Haruna Idrissu, Jean Mensah noted that the Commission could not receive the petition on 21 December 2020 when a delegation of National Democratic Congress (NDC) Members of Parliament (MPs) marched to the EC Headquarters to present a petition to the election management body with regard to their concerns about the results of the Techiman South parliamentary race.
Therefore the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu read out their concerns to the media, amidst threats of boycotting the EC in parliament.
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This, according to the letter, was because of the late receipt of an initial letter the Minority wrote to notify the EC ahead of their intended march.
“We apologise for our inability to meet with you and your delegation. This stemmed from the late receipt of your letter.
“We assure you that our doors remain open should you wish to present the petition in person to the Commission,” parts of the letter read.
It continued: “Meanwhile, the Commision will study the contents of the petition and respond within the shortest possible time”.
The Minority MPs, while marching from Parliament House to the headquarters of the EC in Accra on Tuesday, 22 December 2020 to, got into a standoff with armed police officers, who attempted preventing them from gaining access to the precincts of the EC.
The police argued that the MPs had flouted the Public Order Act by not notifying them of their march.
The MPs, on the other hand, counter-argued that they were just taking a walk to present a petition to the EC, of which they had written to the election management body about.
Meanwhile, the state, represented by the Ghana Police Service, has dragged Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu and ten other opposition MPs to court for embarking on a march to the office of the Electoral Commission in contravention of the Public Order Act.
They have also been charged with unlawful assembly.
The other ten MPs are Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, Samuel George, John Abdulai Jinapor, Rockson Nelson Etse Kwami Defiamekpor, Ras Mubarak, Mutawakilu Adam, Ebenezer Okletey Yerlabi, Dr Kwabena Donkor, Bashir Alhassan Fuseini and Kwabena Mintah Akando.
Source: Classfmonline.com