COURT RESTRAINS NPP, ASOKWA CONSTITUENCY (PAGE 13, NOV 21)

A Kumasi High Court has granted an application restraining both the Ashanti Regional Executive Committee for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the Asokwa Constituency Executive of the party from holding any election of new executive members for the Asokwa Constituency of the party.
A suit filed by Mr Kwame Owusu Sekyere, on behalf of the applicants who are polling station executives of eight polling stations of the Asokwa Constituency, also sought an order to declare the polling station membership register compiled between September and October 2009 by the Ashanti Regional Executive Committee of the NPP and the Executive Committee of the Asokwa Constituency of the party null and void.
The plaintiffs are Messrs Gyamfi Marfo of Kaasi, Nana Kwaku Frimpong of F170102, Charles Damptey of Gyinase M/A Primary, Luke Kofi Fofie of SDA Church, Osei Efah Amponsah of F170708, Yaw Boakye of Gyinase , Frank Bosompem Danso of F10109 and Madam Lydia Efa Amponsah of Atonsu S-Line polling station.
Other claims that the court, presided over by Justice Imoru Ziblim, has granted an order compelling the defendants to compile and validate the Polling Station Membership Register of the Asokwa Constituency of the NPP in accordance with the NPP constitution, rules and regulations, and an order restraining the defendants, their agents and assigns from conducting the Asokwa Constituency Executive Elections of the NPP, pending the final determination of the suit and general damages.
In their statement of claim, the plaintiff explained that they were elected in 2005 in their respective polling stations of the Asokwa Constituency as polling station executives, and, therefore, form part of the Electoral College for the selection and election of constituency executives and parliamentary candidates, as well as the selection and election of delegates who select and elect national executive and the presidential candidate for the party.
It said being card-bearing members of the party, they also qualify to stand for any election within the party, including election to select polling station and constituency executives.
It said even though they remained at post as polling station executives, they were sidelined by the constituency executives during the compilation and validation of the polling station register.
The statement further explained that contrary to the party’s constitution, rules and regulations, the Executive Committee of the Asokwa Constituency and the Member of Parliament of the constituency, designed and compiled the membership register without any reference to the plaintiffs who form part of the polling station executives.
The statement also explained that following the action of the Asokwa Executive Committee members and the MP, they (Plaintiffs) petitioned the Regional Executive Committee and the National Secretariat, as well as the Council of Elders of the party, but had not received any response, and in spite of the petition to the party executives at the regional and national levels, the defendants were bent on using the illegal register to elect constituency executives.
It said if the defendants were allowed to use that register for the selection and election of constituency executives, they (Plaintiffs) would be denied their fundamental human rights to belong to the party of their choice and a right to vote and be voted for in any executive position.