The Electoral Commission (EC) has denied claims by Sammy Gyamfi, the National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), that it is scheming with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to commit an illegality in Assin North Constituency by-election.
It explained that the claims by him that it is, together with the NPP, attempting to smuggle in the name of someone in Assin North, is completely falsehood.
The Commission insisted that the claim is only a figment of the imagination of the NDC executive.
Mr Gyamfi, contended that such an act would violate laws governing nomination of parliamentary candidates, cited Regulation 22 of Public Elections Regulations 2020 (C.I 127), which stated that voter transfer could only be conducted for an ordinary citizen at least 42 days before public election, and transfer applications must be submitted to Returning Officer responsible for elections.
But the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has also dismissed as baseless, claims made by NDC that it is planning to present an unqualified candidate for the upcoming parliamentary by-election in Assin North Constituency.
It clarified that it had not yet selected candidate for the forthcoming by-election, and any such allegation by NDC was result of lack of understanding of electoral laws.
In a statement signed and issued by the Electoral Management Board said its attention had been drawn to misleading press statement attributed to Mr Gyamfi alleging collaboration between NPP and EC for purpose of transferring vote of Charles Opoku to Assin North Constituency to enable him to contest the upcoming by-election in the said constituency.
It said so far it had no records of request for transfer as had been claimed by Mr Gyamfi and his claim was only intended to further cast slur on the Commission because it had not received any such request from NPP to transfer vote of any person.
“This allegation is false and figment of author’s imagination, as usual, it is aimed at maligning integrity of the Electoral Commission and per Article 94 of the 1992 Constitution, a person does not need to be registered voter in particular constituency to enable him/ her to contest elections in that constituency.
Clarifying what the Constitution stated as requirements for eligible voters, the EC stressed that “we remain most transparent and accountable in our operations,” the statement noted.
In a statement signed and issued by Richard Ahiagbah, Director of Communications of NPP, debunked the allegations to illegally insert the name of an unqualified NPP parliamentary candidate into the Assin North Register.
