The Managing Editor of the Newscenta newspaper, Elvis Darko, has lashed out at the Electoral Commission (EC) over plans to re-run elections in 19 polling stations of the disputed Ablekuma North parliamentary polls.
Mr Darko urged the election management body to comply with an Accra High Court order issued in January, which directed the EC to collate and declare the results instead of conducting a re-run.
Speaking on Accra-based Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Monday, July 7, he insisted the Commission must be bold and declare the results, leaving any aggrieved parties to challenge the outcome in court.
“There’s no need for any re-run. A court order says, ‘go and count and declare.’ So you should go and count and declare. Whichever party says they are not happy, let them go to court with their evidence. Whatever direction the court gives you, you follow because, for now, you are backed by a court order,” he said.
Mr Darko further argued that the EC’s decision to plan a re-run violates the court’s directive and amounts to contempt of court.
According to him, EC Chairperson Jean Mensa and her two deputies, Dr Bossman Asare and Samuel Tettey, would begin to act in line with the law if they were made to spend three days in prison for breaching the court order.
“You are actually disobeying the court order. I think somebody should cite the Electoral Commission for contempt. The Chairperson and the deputies should be cited for contempt by now.
“Probably if they are sent to serve three days in Nsawam prison for disobeying the court, next time they will do the right thing. It’s dangerous for someone holding a public office to disobey the court and be allowed to go scot-free,” he stated.
