EC Postpones Lower Manya Krobo District Elections
The Electoral Commission of Ghana headed by Jean Mensah has postponed the Lower Manya Krobo District elections in the Eastern region.
The election of the district’s assembly members and unit committee members was slated for Tuesday, January 17, 2023, however, an interlocutory injunction secured by two teenagers from Koforidua High Court has restrained the EC.
The applicants, Michael Tetteh and Angel Agyemang, are accusing the EC of violating their franchise in the elections pursuant to article 33 of the 1992 constitution of Ghana.
A part of the affidavit by the applicants states that “since turning 18, we have not had any opportunity to register in order to vote or be qualified to be elected as Assembly Members in the Lower Manya Krobo District Assembly.”
In a statement, dated January 16, the EC communicated its inability to go ahead with the elections.
“This has become necessary due to an application for injunction filed against the Electoral Commission at the high Court in Koforidua.”
The teenagers want the court to restrain the Electoral Commission from conducting the elections until the commission conducts the voters registration exercise.
A new date will be communicated later according to the EC.
Lower Manya Krobo Election Dispute (Reported By Star FM)
The district level elections was not held for eight years in Lower Manya Krobo due to a dispute between the Municipality and Dangme West District, now known as Shai-Osudoku over 11 electoral areas created at Akuse.
The dispute which started with the defection of some of Akuse assembly members to the then Dangme West District, was, however, settled by a Supreme Court ruling in favour of Lower Manya Krobo.
The election of Assembly members and unit committee members was immediately held in 2013 and subsequent periods however the election has not been coterminous with the national calendar of the electoral commission.
Meanwhile, Konor of Manya Krobo Traditional Area, Nene Sakite in a petition dated 12 December 2022, called on EC to reconsider mainstreaming the district level elections in Lower Manya Krobo with the national routine.
“…we wish to kindly plead and appeal to the Electoral Commission of Ghana to reconsider its decision in the conduct of the Lower Manaya Krobo District Level Elections in January, 2023 to enable the district join the nationwide District Level Elections in 2023.”
Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini
