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A group of calling itself Association of Concerned Ghanaians in Europe (ACGIE) last week submitted a petition to the European Union asking the 27 member-organization to assist Ghana in the speedy adjudication of the election petition pending before the Supreme Court of Ghana. According to the Association, the long delay in resolving the election dispute is negatively affecting the country�s economy caused by uncertainty and anxiety of foreign investors. For the group, the delay in bringing to closure the election petition brought to the Supreme Court by the flagbearer of opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and two others, is also making long term planning difficult for local businesses. �We, members of the Association of Concerned Ghanaians in Europe (ACGIE) wish to petition the European Union to use its good offices to ensure the speedy resolution of the petition filed at the Supreme Court by the leader of the opposition, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, his running mate and the Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP),� the group wrote in a March 30, 2013 letter addressed to Cathrine Ashton, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. �It must be stressed that the long delay by the Supreme Court in resolving this election dispute has not only led to heightened tension, it is also negatively affecting Foreign Direct Investment into the country,� the group charged. The letter was signed by several representatives of the group across Europe, and it was copied to the President of the Council of Europe, the President of the European Parliament, the President of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, all media houses in Europe and all media houses in Ghana. The group wants the EU to send representations to observe the legal process and encourage law and order to continue to take hold in Ghana and support the outcome to produce justice, peace and stability �not necessarily the status quo which may have a weak foundation,� stated the ACGIE. �Ghana has in no doubt become a beacon of peace, stability and democracy in Africa and as such should not be allowed to fall into the abyss of internal strife, conflict and destruction,� ACGIE noted. Under Pressure This is the second time that groups from outside Ghana have sought to bring pressure on the Ghanaian Supreme Court to expedite action on the petition. Last month, a similar group in the United States of America, petitioned the American government through the Ghanaian embassy in the U.S to persuade the Supreme Court to hasten the process. The group calling itself, Concerned Ghanaian Residents in the US, stated that similar effects of the delayed adjudication as the ACGIE. Other local pressure groups have also waded into the fray in a bid to put the Supreme Court on its feet. The Supreme Court of Ghana is under extreme pressure to expedite action in delivering its verdict on the landmark election petition that has dragged on for more than three months now since the petitioners from the opposition NPP tabled it. Critics think the Supreme Court is acting ultra conservative in its pace. Since December 29, 2012 when the petition was submitted to the Supreme Court, the apex court has entertained several interlocutory cases related to the petition without tackling the substantive case. But the Supreme Court has set April 16, as the date to commence hearing on the substantive case in which the NPP claims over 4 million votes out of the almost 11million cast in the December 7th and 8th 2012 elections were fraught with massive manipulations that affected the outcome of the elections.