After the amicable resolution of a protracted electoral impasse, the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) is set to hold its general election on Friday to elect national and regional officers.
The date for the polls was settled after an inter-candidate committee, set up under a consent judgement from mediation, worked out the modalities for the election.
The GJA election dispute began following an earlier disqualification of some candidates, including Lloyd Evans and Mathew Mac Kwame few weeks ahead of the March 31, 2017 election date.
The disqualified aspirants petitioned the Elections Dispute Adjudication Committee (EDAC) of the GJA but because of the short period to hear their petitions, the election was postponed indefinitely from March 31, 2017 at the request of the EDAC.
After hearing the petitions, the EDAC said, “Candidates who were disqualified from contesting the election on the basis other than (i) not being members or (ii) whose membership was below three years should be given the opportunity to contest the elections”.
Before the postponement, all aspirants had been vetted, however on Monday, May 15, 2017; the Election Committee issued a statement and announced that it was re-opening nominations for all prospective candidates.
The plaintiffs contended that the move was “unconstitutional,” and subsequently filed a suit at an Accra High Court, leading to the placing of an injunction on the election.
Upon the request of the parties later, the court granted the case to go for mediation.
By: Francis Tandoh/adrdaily.com
