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General News of Saturday, 5 December 2015
Source: Daily Guide
File photo: Dr. Zanetor Rawlings
Some agitated supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Klottey Korle Constituency of the Greater Accra Region, are pushing for the disqualification of the party’s newly elected Parliamentary Candidate, Dr. Zanetor Rawlings.
According to them, Dr. Zanetor Rawlings is not qualified to be elected because she is not a registered voter in Ghana. In a two paged petition to the national leadership of the party, the angry supporters are calling for fresh elections in Klottey Korle.
Speaking to Citi News, one of the four petitioners, Joseph Botchwey, said the national leadership must act fast on their petition else they will advise themselves.
“We didn’t see her vote and we didn’t see her name in the register on the voting day and per our rules, if you are not a registered voter, you need not stand for the primaries at all.
That’s the guidelines for the primaries.
We petitioned before the primaries but we didn’t get any response so we are still pursuing the matter.”
Joseph Botchwey denied suggestions that they are doing the bidding of the incumbent MP, Nii Armah Ashietey, who was convincingly beaten by Zanetor in the primary.
It would be recalled that during the NDC’s primary on November 21, Dr. Rawlings could not cast her ballot because her name was not found in the voters’ register.
Meanwhile, a private legal practitioner, Gary Nimako, has also personally written to the Electoral Commission demanding details of Dr. Zanetor Rawlings ’ registration record.
Below is the group’s petition
PETITION FOR THE DISQUALIFICATION OF DR. ZANETOR AGYEMAN RAWLINGS
We wish to refer to the primaries that were held on the 21st November 2015 in the Klottey Korle Constituency and comment as follows; That one of the contestants Dr. Zanetor Agyeman Rawlings did not qualify to contest the primaries because she was not a registered voter.
That the party’s own rules that guided the conduct of the primaries provided that a member of the NDC shall not qualify to contest any primaries in any of the parliamentary seats if that member does not satisfy the requirement for the election of the member of parliament as provided in Article 94, Section 1(a) of the 1992 constitution.
That the true meaning of the rules and the law is simply that, a member is disqualified from contesting primaries if the member’s name is not on the EC voter register.
That we are convinced Dr. Zanetor Agyeman Rawlings name is not on the EC voters register considering that she was not registered in the party’s biometric register which was a product of the EC voter’s register and which was used in the last primaries.
From the above, we are of the firm belief that the afore-mentioned person should have been disqualified from contesting the primaries because she was not a registered voter.
We wish to appeal to you to take the necessary steps to remedy the situation within 24 hours failing which we will advise ourselves accordingly.
Thank you.
I. JOSEPH NARKU BOTCHWAY OF OSU
2. JACOB AMIN OF ASYLUM DOWN
3. ALHAJI MOHAMMED MAHMUD OF ASYLUM DOWN
4. REV. MICHAEL KWABENA Nil ADJEI SOWAH OF OSU
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