NDC Now Has 50% Of Parliamentary Seats

Accra, April 10, GNA - The ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) now has 115 out of the 230 seats in the Fifth Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana with the declaration of Asutifi South Constituency 2008 Parliamentary Election Results.

Alhaji Collins Dauda, NDC Candidate for the Constituency, was on Friday declared winner of the Election held on December 7, 2008. He polled 10,984 votes as against 10,970 votes for Mr Yiadom Boakye-Boateng, New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate and 78 votes for Mr George Otchere of Democratic People's Party (DPP).

Mr Henry Kwakye Adjie, Returning Officer of the Constituency, announced the results in the presence of the Brong Ahafo Regional and the Constituency Officers of the NDC and NPP, the Media, Police and Officials of the Electoral Commission led by Mr Kwesi Arthur Yeboah, the Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Director of EC.

Also present were Mr Kwedwo Nyamekye Marfo, the Regional Minister, and Mr Eric Opoku, Deputy Regional Minister.

A large number of NDC supporters, who had arrived in buses, went into wild jubilation when the results were declared.

A contingent of baton-wielding Policemen was deployed at the Regional EC premises, where the results were declared.

The declaration of the results followed a unanimous decision of the Supreme Court on Wednesday against a Sunyani High Court's ruling that restrained the EC from declaring the results.

The Sunyani High Court had upheld a petition that sought to restrain the declaration of the winner of the Asutifi South Constituency Parliamentary Results.

The Supreme Court unanimously declared that there should be no further hearing of the Asutifi South election petition at the Sunyani High Court.

This followed the granting of a certiorari application brought before it by Alhaji Dauda, which prayed the Supreme Court to quash the Sunyani High Court's ruling it delivered on the election petition on January 6 2009.

The Supreme Court's reason for its decision was that an election petition could only be filed after the Electoral Commission (EC) had declared a winner.

After its unanimous decision had been read by Professor Justice Samuel Date-Bah, the Court, presided over by Mr Justice William Atuguba, awarded cost of GH¢1,000 against Mr Boakye-Boateng.

The three other panel members were Ms Justice Sophia Akuffo, Mrs Justice Rose Owusu and Mr Justice Paul Baffor-Bonnie.

After the election Mr Boakye-Boateng petitioned the High Court to restrain the Electoral officers in the Asutifi constituency from declaring the results.

He alleged that the entire process of collating the results needed to be investigated, because apart from it being fraught with corrupt practices, the NDC candidate and the electoral officers were involved in electoral malpractices.

After the High Court overruled a preliminary objection raised by Counsel for the NDC candidate on December 22, 2008, the Electoral Commission (EC) petitioned the Court of Appeal (CA) to order the High Court to stay proceedings on the matter. Mr Sam Codjoe was counsel for Alhaji Dauda, while Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey and Mr E. O. Armah represented Mr Boakye-Boateng and the EC, respectively. With the declaration of the Asutifi South results, only that of Akwatia Constituency is outstanding. 10 April 09