RE:
CONSTITUTIONAL BREACHES FOR GJA ELECTIONS 2017
Accra-March
20, 2017- The Campaign office of our Candidate Lloyd Evans
wishes to point out to the general public some misinformation purportedly put
out since the story about the disqualification of our Candidate Lloyd Evans was
first put out last Friday, March 17, 2017.
First,
the rule of natural justice was not adhered to. Team Lloyd Campaign was of the
opinion that a written copy of the disqualification of our candidate would have
first be made available to us before the rush to the public to announce their
decision.
Team
Lloyd however, is yet to get a written a
copy of the statement from the Press Centre.
The
Chairman of the Election Committee has noted on some radio interviews that our
candidate can appeal his disqualification through the Adjudicating Committee
for redress.
We
wish to point out to the Chairman of the Election Committee that the very same
rules and regulations of the GJA, which mandates the National Executive Council
to put in place the Election Dispute Adjudication Committee 90 clear days
before the elections has been flouted.
We
challenge the National Executive Council to publish the date for which this
committee was set up and the names of the members of the Committee. To the team,
there is nothing such as an Adjudicating Committee.
Per the constitution (Article 44 ) the National
Executive Council which is made up of national executives and the
representatives of the regional branches shall set up an Election Dispute Adjudication Committee
to sit on appeals from the decisions of the Election Committee and adjudicate
on post-election disputes.
Sect (c) of the same Article states“The Election
Dispute Adjudication Committee shall be appointed three (3) months before the
election and shall be dissolved within two (2) months after the declaration of
the election results”.
The announcement of the
elections however, was done on February 6, 2017 with the elections stated for
March 31, 2017. This is clearly a breach of the rules and regulations of the
Association.
The GJA rules and regulations
is specific, that the Elections Committee shall publish a register of eligible
voters (members in good standing) for each election. The register shall be
published in at least one national daily and simultaneously circulated to all
Regional Branches and media houses at least 30 calendar days before the
election.
The
said list was however published in the first week of March 2017, another clear breach of the GJA
constitution by the Elections Committee. What was published was not even the
accurate data as per what is stated in the GJA constitution.
The
same regulations says the National Executive shall publish the names of members
of the Association in good standing by the end of the first-quarter, after
giving due notice of 30 calendar days.
This
pre-supposes that the GJA should have given due notice of their intention to
publish its members in good standing by December of 2016.
It
is clear from the forgoing that the National Executives of GJA has at every
turn of the processes leading to this election, flouted their own rules and
regulations with impunity and yet turn round to accuse law abiding members of
same.
The
GJA rules once again states clearly that yearly payments of dues should be paid
by end of February for the year. Our Candidate paid his dues on 14th
February, 2017, hence has not fallen short of the rules.
Be
that this year is not an election year, therefore, anybody who has paid his
dues before the end of the February cannot be said to be caught by the 90-day
rule.
The
Election Committee in fairness should publish the date of payment of all
candidates to dispel rumours of some of the qualified candidates purported to
have paid their dues in the middle of January, 2017.
We
wish to reiterate that the processes leading to holding of elections was
surprised on all members without the due regards to rules and regulations as
spelled out in the GJA Constitution.
The
postponement of the March 31, 2016 was not communicated to members. A proper
interpretation of the rules and regulations will mean that the current mandate
of the National Executives and all other regional officers have run out, hence
have no legal right to continue to hold office much more set up a committee to
oversee the elections.
Our
candidate therefore, did not and cannot be said to have failed to pay his dues
as per the incidence narrated above.
“Keep
Lloyd Evans Vision Alive” CHANGE WILL COME.
Campaign
Manager
“Team
Lloyd”
0244-387363
boahene.asamoah@gmail.com
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