Civil Society Organisation (CSO), Global Security for Africa Research and Good Governance (GLOSARGG), has urged the Electoral Commission (EC) not to facilitate any candidate who is not qualified to contest in the upcoming Assin North by-election.

According to GLOSARGG, it foresees that anything contrary to that, “which is an epitome of imposing candidates on the electorates, has the tendency of jeopardising the peace and the democracy that,” has been established patriotically by the forefathers of the land.

A statement issued by the organisation on Monday, 5 June 2023, noted: “If the reason for this By-Election is founded on dual citizenship, it would be unprofessional, hypocritical and an affront on the tenants of Contemporary Democracy and Good Governance to import candidates from different constituencies other than Assin North.”

This follows claims by the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) alleging the EC had colluded with the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) to insert the name of an unqualified parliamentary candidate into the Assin North voter roll.

It also admonished the EC and the security sector to exhibit “impartiality and professionalism to improve peace before, during and after the Assin North by-election including the future ones.”

The EC has scheduled a by-election to be held in Assin North on Tuesday, 27 June 2023.

This was necessitated by the Supreme Court’s declaration of the election of James Gyakye Quayson as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin North unconstitutional.

Mr Gyakye Quayson has, however, declared his intention to contest the seat come the by-election.

Meanwhile, the EC has denied claims by the NDC alleging collusion between the NPP and the election management body to insert the name of an unqualified NPP parliamentary candidate into the Assin North voters’ register.

Communications officer of the NDC Sammy Gyamfi in a statement on Sunday had said: “The National Democratic Congress has become aware of a plot by the ruling New Patriotic Party, acting in cahoots with their collaborators in the Electoral Commission to transfer and insert the name of one Charles Opoku, into the Voters Register of the Assin North constituency. This illegal move is to aid the said Charles Opoku to contest in the NPP Parliamentary primaries to select a candidate for the upcoming Assin North by-election.”

“Our unimpeachable sources have revealed that contrary to the clear requirement on the nomination form for the Assin North by-election, which demands that a candidate in the election must be a registered voter in Assin North, the said Charles Opoku is not a registered voter in the Assin North Constituency,” Mr Gyamfi said.

The EC in response said: “This is not true.”

“For the records, the EC has not received any such request from the NPP to transfer the votes of any person. This allegation is false and a figment of the author’s imagination. As usual, it is aimed at maligning the integrity of the Electoral Commission,” the election management body said in a statement.