A private legal practitioner, Prof. Stephen Kwaku Asare, aka Kwaku Azar, is advocating for an amendment to Article 112(6), which stipulates the process for conducting a by-election.
The article says a by-election shall not be held within three months before the holding of a general election.
But the accounting professor and lawyer want the law amended to make it a year.
He wants it to read, “A by-election shall not be held in the year of a general election.”
In a post he shared on his official Facebook page, Prof. Azar, as he is popularly called, said this will save us several amounts of resources, which could go into funding basic education in the constituency where the by-election would be held.
“Any savings from an avoided by-election, salaries, ex gratia, and other perks will go to fund basic education in that constituency.”
He also suggested that the party for which he was a candidate who died while being an MP could nominate a replacement.
Although he admitted this suggestion may not be the best solution, he also added that it is not the worst.
“Rather than the seat going unfilled as in article 112(6), GOGO is open to allowing the incumbent party to nominate a replacement. While clearly not the best solution, it is no worse, and probably better, than letting the seat go unfilled.”
Read the full post below
The Ejisu MP will spend most of the next 7 months campaigning for the impending general election, and will be entitled to ex gratia.
Article 112(6) provides that “ … a by-election shall not be held within three months before the holding of a general election.”
Join GOGO to amend article 112(6) to read
“a by-election shall not be held in the year of a general election.”
Any savings from an avoided by-election, salaries, ex gratia, and other perks will go to fund basic education in that constituency.
Rather than the seat going unfilled as in article 112(6), GOGO is open to allowing the incumbent party to nominate a replacement. While clearly not the best solution, it is no worse, and probably better, than letting the seat go unfilled.
But we can have a honest debate about whether we prefer the unfilled seat or a party replacement. Either one is better than the status quo of electing an MP in a by-election to serve in Parliament for 7 months, 4 of which will be used on recess.
By-elections in an election year is wasteful. Say no to by-elections in a general election year.
#SALL is the cardinal sin of the 8th Parliament.
Da Yie!
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
