The Electoral Commission (EC) has debunked arguments that it has the mandate to proceed with a by- election in the Dome-Kwabenya Constituency owing to the continuous absence of the embattled Member of Parliament for the area, Sarah Adwoa Safo.
Chairman of Parliament’s Privileges Committee, Joseph Osei-Owusu, last month urged the Clerk of Parliament to inform the EC that the Dome-Kwabenya Constituency seat is vacant.
This, Mr Osei-Owusu says, is the conclusion reached by the Committee after it heard two of the three NPP legislators who had absented themselves from Parliament for more than 15 consecutive sittings.
However, giving updates as to whether or not the EC has any of such notices, Dr Bossman Asare, Deputy Chairman of the EC in charge of Corporate Services said the “EC has always been ready for by-elections because it is part of our mandate…you mentioned Honorable Adwoa Safo, we followed the news like the ordinary Ghanaians also do and as we speak now we have not received any notification that a parliamentary seat is vacant.”
Dr Asare added that, “the EC is an impartial institution so based on what the First Deputy Speaker said, that means if the Clerk hasn’t notified us, the EC cannot jump the gun and say people are saying someone should resign so we are also joining the bandwagon.”
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