General News of Saturday, 30 September 2017
Source: www.ghanaweb.com
2017-09-30
Defeated GJA Presidential Candidate, Lloyd Evans speaking exclusively to www.ghanaweb.com
One of Ghana Journalists Association’s presidential candidates in its just-ended elections, Lloyd Evans has accepted results of the exercise in which he was defeated.
Lloyd Evans was second in an election that saw Affail Monney retain the position as president in an overwhelming victory.
The defeated presidential candidate dismissed any suggestions of him taking the elections to court over some allegations of malpractices which fraught the election.
“This is an election someone had to win and someone had to lose and I lost period” quizzing “is it strange for someone to lose an election? Is it a crime for someone to lose an election? Is it? So what’s the big deal?” he stated in an interview with www.ghanaweb.com after the declaration of result.
“I did my best and I lost, that is the decision of the Ghanaian journalist, that’s the decision of the fraternity that is their decision and I cannot force myself on them, period” he asserted.
He, however, was quick to express his readiness to support the activities and initiatives of the executive-elect and avail his expertise and services when required but Lloyd Evans emphasised he won’t impose his ideas and suggestions on them.
“Anytime I am available and I am called upon I am ready to assist as for that there’s no two ways about that. It’s an association I have been a member of for more than 30 years” defeated Lloyd Evans stressed.
“I will not force myself on him, I cannot force himself on him, if he invites me, he invites me for my opinion I can say it but for me to go and force myself on him it will not happen, because I cannot and it is not possible” he hinted.
Incumbent Affail Monney polled 310 votes out of the total 505 votes, in an election predicted to go in favour of his closest competitor, Lloyd Evans, who only managed 147 of the votes
The third candidate Jonny Aryeetey polled 44 votes.
Four votes were rejected, the GJA Election Committee said Friday.
The other officers elected are:
(a) Mary Mensah – Public Affairs
(b) Edmond Kofi Yeboah – General Secretary
(c) Linda Asante – Vice President
The elections, which should have been held in March this year, delayed following an earlier disqualification of some aspiring candidates, including Mr Lloyd Evans and Mr Matthew Mac-Kwame.
The Elections Dispute Adjudicating Committee (EDAC) of the GJA was petitioned but because of the short period for hearing their petitions before March 31, the election was postponed indefinitely at the request of the EDAC.
After hearing the petitions, the ELAC said: “Candidates who were disqualified from contesting the election on the basis other than (i) not being members or (ii) whose membership was below three years should be given the opportunity to contest the elections”.
That means that Mr Evans and Mr Mac-Kwame were to be given the opportunity to contest, but the Elections Committee re-opened nominations for all prospective candidates.
However, that move was challenged by four other candidates who contended that the move was “unconstitutional”.
The case ended up at the Accra High Court and later resolved through mediation after the litigating parties agreed on a settlement procedure on Friday, July 28, 2017, which paved the way for the elections to be held on Friday, September 29.
The terms of the settlement of the dispute are as follows: All candidates are entitled to have polling agents at all polling centres, all candidates are entitled to have agents at the collation centres, a definite number of agents at all the polling and collation centres for each candidate, collation centre must be determined in consultation with all the parties and there must be transparent and open channels of communication before, during and after the elections.
