18 Nov 2015

Disqualified Ketu South NDC aspirant drag party to court

One of the two disqualified aspirants in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary race in the Ketu South constituency of the Volta region have drag the party to court over his disqualification.
Mr. Jim Yao Morti, through a suit  at the High court in Accra, is seeking among other reliefs an injunction on the November 21 primaries in the constituency.
According to the writ,  Mr. Morti said he met all laid down requirements stated  in the NDC’s guidelines for the election, hence could not understand his disqualification.
He noted that, a petition brought against him during his vetting about him selling a rented car in Togo was raised during which he “provided satisfactory answers to that effect and even provided the necessary documentation to alleviate the issues raised.”
His vetting was however  referred to the Party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) for redress, but has since had no communication from the party concerning his disqualification or otherwise.
Mr. Morti however believe the action of the NDC national executive committee is breach of his fundamental human rights and an attempt to give the incumbent MP, Mr. Fiifi Kwetey the lee way to contest unopposed. He is therefore praying the court for a perpetual injunction on the parliamentary primaries in the constituency until his name is included on the ballot paper.
“The NEC has not till date, come out with a decision of the his candidature and also not communicated same to him or the general public,” yet has not been cleared for the primaries.
“Even though no communication has been channelled to the plaintiff directly, the plaintiff got to know that the reason for the delay and actions of some of the executives of the 1st Defendant [Fiifi Kwetey] to stall his candidature is to assist the 5th defendant who has lost touch with the constituency,” the writ stated.

The defendants in the case are as follows; National Democratic Congress, Headquarters, Adabraka Accra as 1st Defendant, The Chairman, Vetting Committee, NDC as 2nd Defendant, The Regional Chairman, Volta Region NDC as 3rd Defendant, the Constituency NDC Chairman, Ketu South and Hon. Fiifi Kwetey, MP for Ketu South, as 4th and 5th defendants respectively.
Meanwhile a former MP for the area, Mr. Albert Zigah who went independent in the last general elections was also disqualified by the party, leaving two other aspirants,  Sylvanus Amedorme and Famous Kuadagah  in the  race to unseat the incumbent Mr. Fiifi Kwertey, who is also the minister of Food and Agriculture.

Below are the reliefs being seek by the plaintiff

A declaration that the plaintiff has satisfied the conditions set by the 1st Denfendant and is eligible to contest for the Parliamentary primaries of the 1st Defendant in the Ketus South constituency.
A declaration that the action of the 1st Defendant are against the fundamental Human Rights of the Plaintiff and also the Constitution and lad down guidelines of the 1st Defendant when it failed to communicate to the Plaintiff the outcome of vetting in the bid to be elected as 1st Defendant’s Parliamentary candidate for the Ketu South constituency for the 2016 Parliamentary Election.
A declaration that the Ghana Police Service has cleared the Plaintiff of any wrongdoing and have written letters to that effect and same should not bar the Plaintiff from contesting as 1st Defendant’s Parliamentary Candidate for the Ketu South constituency for the 2016 Parliamentary Election.
An order directed at the 1st Defendant to include the Plaintiff in contesting in its primaries for the election of its 2016 parliamentary candidates for the Ketu South constituency.
An order of injunction restraining the 1st Defendant, its officials, servants, agents or any person(s) claiming under or through it and/or any of them however described from holding the 2016 Parliamentary primaries of the 1st Defendant in the Ketu South constituency on Saturday 21st day of November 2015 or any date thereafter [as far as the said election has to do with the 2016 Parliamentary primaries of the 1st Defendant at the Ketu South constituency] without the Plaintiff name on the election material to be used as one of the contesting candidate.
General damages
Costs

Any other relief(s) which this Honourable Court deems meet.

No comments:

Post a Comment