Ghana's electoral body seeks judicial review on high court ruling

Ghana's Electoral Commission (EC) late Monday filed an application for judicial review of a high court decision on candidate nomination.

The high court had ordered the EC to give a chance to Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom, presidential candidate of the Progressive People's Party (PPP), to correct anomalies on his nomination forms for the Dec.7 race.

A statement issued in Accra, the body wants the Supreme Court to quash the high court decision and seek clarity on the relevant aspects of the law on candidate nominations.

A high court in Accra last Friday ruled in favor of Nduom after the EC rejected his nomination forms, claiming that a subscriber Richard Aseda endorsed his form as a voter of both the Central and Volta regions with different signatures in both portions, an act that contradicts the laws governing elections in Ghana.

However, the EC believes it is in the overall national interest and on the grounds of public policy that the Supreme Court provides clarity on the matter since a judgment from the apex court would effectively bring finality to the issue once and for all.

"In the interest of national peace and cohesion, we respectfully implore the highest court of the land to determine with earlier directive of Her Ladyship the Chief Justice and for the sake of the electoral calendar," said the statement signed by the EC's communication director, Eric Dzakpasu.

With barely 36 days to the elections, political watchers fear the court case may affect the calendar for this year's elections. Endit