Ghana Ex-first lady cleared to run for presidency

Ghana’s former first lady
and opposition National Democratic Party (NDP)
presidential candidate Nana Konadu Agyeman
Rawlings says she has what it takes to defeat
incumbent President John Dramani Mahama of the
ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the
December 7 presidential poll.
The Electoral Commission (EC) disqualified
Agyeman Rawlings and 11 other presidential
candidates for failing to meet requirements before
the September 30 deadline to file nomination
documents.
The electoral body says the qualified candidates
who would compete in the presidential vote
include incumbent President Mahama, Nana Addo
Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party
(NPP), Ivor Kobina Greenstreet of the Convention
People’s Party (CPP) and Jacob Osei Yeboah, an
independent candidate.
In an interview with VOA, Agyeman Rawlings said
she has the experience and the pedigree to win
the elections. She blames the ruling party for
masterminding her disqualification — an
accusation the NDC sharply rejects.
“This country, Ghana, needs leadership that cares
for its citizens. A leadership that is bold in its
fight against corruption, a leadership that has
proven strength in putting Ghana and Ghanaians
first and indeed I am running for president because
I know that I am that leader and my track record is
really acting in the best interest of my nation and
is there for all to see. So, my work with the
women to the youth to the various development
projects, I have always done what is best for
Ghana and for Ghanaians,” said Agyeman
Rawlings.
A court in the Ghanaian capital, Accra, begins
hearing a petition Tuesday from disqualified
presidential candidates who are challenging the
electoral commission decision that is preventing
them from running.
Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings maintains the
electoral commission failed to uphold the law,
which she says requires the electoral body to
notify her party of any possible errors in the
nomination documents to be corrected ahead of
the deadline date.
Citing provision CI 94 of electoral regulations,
Agyeman Rawlings contends that the electoral
commission failed to apply the law that requires it
to notify the party of any problems in the party’s
nomination documents.
“It is clear at this point that the electoral
commission is being manipulated by the ruling
party to fight its wars for them. This is because
they know that if my name appears on the ballot
paper, they can’t win simply, because they have
lost the goodwill of the people of Ghana and have
no moral authority to lead this nation anymore…
The EC should have given our party and myself an
opportunity by law for us to correct the said error.
This they did not do,” said Agyeman Rawlings.
The regulation that Agyeman Rawlings cited says,
“Whenever the nomination paper and the statutory
declaration of a candidate are delivered and the
deposit is paid in accordance with these
regulations, the candidate shall be considered to
stand nominated, unless proof is given to the
satisfaction of the returning officer of the
candidate’s death, withdrawal or disqualification.”
It also states that the returning officer shall inform
the candidate’s nomination is invalid where (a)
the particulars of the candidate or the persons
subscribing to the nomination paper are not as
required by law or (b) the nomination paper is not
subscribed to as required by law, and shall give
the candidate an opportunity to make amendments
or any alteration necessary, within the stipulated
nomination period.
Critics have challenged Agyeman Rawlings to
provide proof of her accusations that the ruling
NDC is to blame for her disqualification. The
electoral commission rejected the accusation that
it is doing the bidding of the NDC.
Eric Dzakpasu, spokesman for the electoral
commission, told VOA that the electoral body is
enforcing the country’s laws to the latter to
ensure an equal playing field. He also said the
electoral commission would not be distracted or
deterred from carrying out its mandate to
administer free fair and credible elections this
December.
“They are not applying the law. When they were
asked about the law, which is LI CI 94, some of
the commissioners have said they have their own
internal law which they are using. Which means
that their internal regulations now supersedes the
laws of Ghana? It cannot be so. Because my forms
actually did meet the regulations so if they are
going to do something against me, then they
should make sure that what they are doing is
lawful and does not do anything that goes against
the laws of Ghana,” said Agyeman Rawlings.
“We are looking at the fact that the EC cannot
disqualify me from being part of the voting system
in Ghana. So definitely, I think that by the time we
finish with this court case, [they] would have to
put my name back on it and the NDP back on the
form.”
Opponents say the former first lady should forget
about her personal ambitions to seek to become
president. They called on her to rather support
Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings — her daughter, who
is seeking to be elected to parliament in one of
the constituencies in the capital, Accra. They said
since the former first lady has been around the
Ghanaian presidency for at least 19 years, when
her husband Jerry John Rawlings was the
country’s head of state, she should just be an
elder statesperson to be consulted for guidance
rather than seek political power. They contend
that Ghana is not a dynasty and that the
burgeoning democracy isn’t as matured to allow
the same family to continue to rule the country as
if there are no other qualified citizens.
“The issue is it’s not how many years you have
been there [near power], but that the value that
you would bring to the Ghanaian leadership. My
value that I would bring to the Ghanaian
leadership is about the people, not the leader. As
such, what I have done for Ghana is what will
show and they would have to judge me on that
directly,” said Agyeman Rawlings.