The SALL question: How a traditional area could trigger two 'by-elections'

Two constituencies in the eastern part of Ghana could be required to hold 'by-elections' depending on the outcome of ongoing legal processes.

The two are the Hohoe Constituency in the Volta Region and the Buem Constituency in the adjoining Oti Region.

Both possibilities are linked to the vexed question of the representation of Santrokofi, Akpafu, Likpe and Lolobi (SALL) in the current parliamentary session.

The Hohoe seat currently held by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) through John Peter Amewu, has been the subject of a legal challenge ongoing in a Ho High Court.

The push for a possible by-election in Hohoe was raised by the lawyer for the petitioner in the case, Tsatsu Tsikata, during the last hearing.

A Herald newspaper report said of the move: "Mr. Tsikata had last Friday told the Ho High Court that the denial of the SALL Traditional Areas of their right to vote for a parliamentary candidate was a blight on the parliamentary election in the Hohoe Constituency.

"He contended that the continued denial of the people in the SALL traditional areas of representation in the 8th Parliament of the 4th Republic undermines Ghana’s democracy, and urged the court to grant the reliefs sought by the petitioners."

One of the reliefs his client is seeking is a rerun of the 2020 poll that Amewu won.

Curing the SALL problem: Godfred Dame proposes revocation of Guan District, new polls in Buem

The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, last week provided an overview of the legal intricacies surrounding the representation of SALL.

He reiterated in his submission on November 14 that the creation of the Guan District, established by the Local Government (Guan District Assembly) (Establishment) Instrument, 2020 (L. I. 2416), led to the removal of SALL from the Jasikan District.

In his answer, a copy of which is available to GhanaWeb, he submitted that one way the anomaly could be cured was through: "revocation of L. I. 2416, leaving SALL under the Jasikan District and also annulment of the 2020 Parliamentary election for Buem Constituency, allowing SALL residents to vote for an MP within the Buem constituency."

Dame acknowledged a pending High Court case challenging the validity of the election of Kofi Adams as the Member of Parliament for Buem, which seeks to address the denial of SALL residents' right to vote in the December 2020 election.

The A-G was responding to parliamentary questions posed by Members of Parliament Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi (Lower Manya Krobo) and Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa (North Tongu).

SARA



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