Court throws out Ashaiman MP’s case against EC

A High Court in Adenta has struck out an application filed by Mr. Ernest Henry Norgbey, Member of Parliament for Ashaiman seeking a declaration that the Electoral Commission (EC) did not have the mandate to compile a new register for the conduct of the 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.

The MP contended that the EC did not have the mandate to compile a new voters’ register until it is authorized by a valid law.

Dismissing the application, the court presided over by Mrs. Justice Enyonam Adinyira ruled that the application was similar to the consolidated case that the Supreme Court dealt with on Thursday June 25, this year.

The Supreme Court in that judgement involving the National Democratic Congress and Mark Takyi-Banson verses the EC and the Attorney General affirmed CI 126.

In its consequential orders the Supreme Court declared that its decision will be binding on all similar applications filed or yet to be filed against the EC.

Therefore, when the case was called at the High Court, Justice Adinyira dismissed the application by the applicant, saying, it was similar to what the apex court of the land had decided on.

The applicant was seeking a declaration that the election management body has no mandate under the Public Election (Registration of Voters) Regulations, 2020 (CI 126) as amended and that the existing voters’ register is the only valid and lawful register for the conduct of public elections until revoked by a law validly made or passed.

The EC has been hit by a number of applications bordering on the issue of voter identity. The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and another by a private citizen Mark-Takyi Banson had commence the actions and same was followed by the MP who filed his at the High Court.

The applications were consolidated at the Supreme Court and judgement was delivered.

Prior to the Supreme Court judgement, the Ashaiman MP, Ernest Norgbey was asking the High Court to place an interim injunction on the voter registration exercise set to commence on Tuesday June 30, 2020.

Source: GNA