General News of Thursday, 3 March 2016

Source: kasapafmonline

Revealed: NDC constitution bars Zanetor from contesting

Dr. Zanetor Rawlings Dr. Zanetor Rawlings

It has emerged that the constitution of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) bars Dr. Zanetor Rawlings from contesting in the Klottey Korle.

Article 43 section 9(A) of the ruling NDC’s constitution states: A member shall not be qualified to contest in primaries for any parliamentary seat if he: (a) is disqualified under national electoral laws from contesting for any parliamentary seat.

However, Article 94 of the Ghana’s constitution states (1) Subject to the provisions of this article, a person shall not be qualified to be a Member of Parliament unless –

(a) He is a citizen of Ghana, has attained the age of twenty-one years and is a registered voter;

The Electoral Commission in a letter signed by its Chairperson Charlotte Osei to Lawyer Thaddeus Sory instructing him to conduct a case on their behalf stated that Dr Zanetor per their records.

This clarification was in response to a letter written to them by lawyers for a defeated parliamentary aspirant for the area Nii Armah Ashitey requesting it to declare the eligibility of the daughter of former President John Rawlings.

Per this interpretation, it is evidently clear that Dr. Zanetor Rawlings Illegally contested in the NDC Klottey Korle primaries.