General News of Wednesday, 3 April 2013

Source: XYZ

NPP's election petition case will crumble - Asiedu Nketia

General Secretary of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) Johnson Asiedu Nketia says the narrowing down of the issues to two by the Supreme Court will essentially lead to the case falling into pieces.

Speaking to XYZ News after the court hearing on Tuesday, Mr. Asiedu Nketia said the NDC is very satisfied with the decision of the court.

“We are very satisfied and we think that the narrowing of the issues to two is a major progress that has been made in this case.

“I believe strongly that they [NPP] will find it very difficult to prove that case so as far as I am concerned the case has started crumbling,” he stated.

But the main opposition NPP says the Supreme Court’s decision to hear the election fraud petition through affidavits will prevent the president’s team and the governing NDC from using any delay tactics to frustrate the hearing.

At its hearing yesterday, the Court asked all the parties to file affidavit of witnesses they intend calling.

The court also narrowed the petition down to two issues.

They include whether or not there were statutory violations, omissions, irregularities and malpractices in the conduct of the elections held on December 7 and 8 last year.

Secondly the court will ascertain whether or not the alleged violations, omissions, irregularities and malpractices affected the outcome of the results of the elections.

It has fixed April 16 to start hearing the substantive matter.

Speaking to XYZ News, General Secretary of the NPP, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie said his party; whose candidate filed the petition alongside two others is very satisfied with the rules set by the Court in hearing the real case.