The Progressive People Party (PPP) goes to the Supreme Court

The Progressive People Party (PPP) had gone to the Supreme Court to set aside an order of a High Court which restrained the Electoral Commission (EC) and four others from holding two bye elections in Wulensi and Kwabre West Constituencies.

The PPP is also seeking a true and proper interpretation of Articles 42, 45, 47, 51 and 130 (1) (b) of the 1992 Constitution.

It noted that the EC and Parliament and other authority or persons had no power by law to make any law such as C.I 72 that had the potent of disabling constituents to vote and elect members of parliament to represent them.

PPP is further seeking an order directing the EC to correct immediately the omission of a clause and a transitional provision under CI 72 and hold election in Wulensi and Kwabre West in fulfilment of the objects of Articles 42, 45, 47 and 51 of the Constitution.

It was also praying the court to declare the order of the High Court void.

The four defendants are the Attorney General, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Convention People's Party (CPP).

In an affidavit in support of the party's case sworn by Mr Kofi Asamoah-Siaw  of Plot number 163, Asylum Down, said somewhere in June 2012, the PPP received information from the EC that the Wulensi and Kwabre Constituent seat had been declared vacant following the death of Alhaji Iddi Sani and Mr Emmanuel Owusu- Ansah respectively.

 According to Mr Asamoah-Siaw, the EC indicated that following the development, by- elections were going to be held in the two constituencies.

Mr Asamoah-Siaw said: "The EC subsequently set a date for the Wulensi by-elections and my party filed a candidate for the contest as my party has solemn interest in holding of the elections by EC."

He said the PPP received information that the General Secretaries of the NPP, NDC and CPP had taken action against the Attorney General and the EC.

According to him the omission by the defendants was inconsistent and in contravention with the law of the land and the 1992 Constitution.

"That the party has realised that the whole point in the suit herein referred is an omission commissioned by the EC, whilst promulgating CI72 of not preserving the old Voters Register under the CI 12 until a new one under CI 72 is finalised and ready for  conducting public elections. "

GNA