The Electoral Commission (EC) has informed Parliament that it has no plan to rerun the disputed election in the Ablekuma North constituency in Greater Accra.
The electoral body stated that the results from three outstanding polling stations can still be collated and a winner declared.
According to Dr. Bossman Asare, Deputy Chairperson in charge of the EC’s Corporate Affairs department, the Commission will conduct the rerun only as a last resort.
He was responding to questions; he appeared before Parliament on Thursday, June 19, 2015.
“So, for Ablekuma North, we have not reached the point where we will say we don’t have the results. When we try and we cannot get the results, that is when we will resort to the rerun. The rerun will be a last option,” he said.
He further claimed that the delay in completing the collation of parliamentary election results in the Ablekuma North Constituency is due to the absence of legal advice from the Attorney General’s Department.
Dr Bossman Asare stated that the Commission had taken several steps to complete the process but has been stalled due to the failure of the police in providing them with security.
“On 28th March, the Commission again wrote to the Ghana Police Service and informed them about the three polling station results which are still outstanding and the need to complete collation. In the same letter, the Commission requested a meeting at the earliest convenience of the security task force to agree on a date for the completion of the collation.”
He added that the Police and National Security Taskforce said they would only act upon receiving legal direction from the AG.
“…In the letter, the commission requested a meeting the next day, that is, 16th May, to agree on a date for the completion of the election. The National Police Service and the National Security Taskforce, in a response, informed the commission that the issue of the completion of the collation of the Ablekuma North election has been referred to the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice for legal advice and further stated that because of the referral, the National Security Taskforce will hold on until the legal advice is received. Since then, we have followed up with the police, and they have indicated they have not received advice from the AG.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana