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General News of Friday, 30 November 2012

Source: Philip Kofi Ashon

Court dismisses NDP case against EC

The Human Rights High Court has dismissed the case in which the National Democratic Party (NDP) is seeking an order to compel the Electoral Commission (EC) to include the name of its flag bearer, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, on the ballot paper of presidential candidates for the December polls.

According to Citi Fm reporter Juliet Adjoa Amoh, the docket, which was signed by Justice of the High Court, Kofi Essel Mensah read "i cannot do anything to save the situation for cases for, and worn on merit. It is demonstrably clear that the applicants have failed to put forward a strong case to obtain a favourable verdict.

I cannot do otherwise than to dismiss their application. The applications is accordingly dismissed."

The case which was earlier adjourned to enable the NDP to respond to an affidavit in opposition filed by the EC, is the latest setback for the NDP ahead of next weeks elections.

At the court’s last sitting, the NDP was granted leave by the court to amend its original application for judicial review of the decision by the EC to disqualify the party’s flag bearer from the December polls.

The party went to court to seek an order to compel the EC to include the name of its flag bearer, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, on the ballot paper of presidential candidates for the December general election.

However, according to the party, it was not privy to certain information, the lack of which deprived it from benefiting from relevant advice in respect of the application at the time it was filed on October 25, 2012.

Consequently, counsel for the party filed the application to seek leave to amend.

On October 19, 2012, the EC rejected the nomination forms of the former First Lady and flag bearer of the NDP, citing major errors on her forms.

Other parties that had their forms rejected were the Independent People’s Party (IPP), the New Vision Party (NVP), the YES People’s Party (YPP) and the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP)