Lawyers for Dr. Zanetor Agyeman Rawlings will today [Thurdsday], open their defence in a lawsuit challenging her eligibility to represent the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as parliamentary nominee for the Klottey Korle Constituency in the Greater Accra Region.
Incumbent Member of Parliament for the Klottey Korley constituency, Nii Armah Ashietey and one Nii John Coleman (who also lost in the primary) filed a suit praying the Court to prevent Dr. Rawlings from holding herself out as parliamentary candidate-elect for the constituency on the ticket of the NDC.
Zanetor's lawyers ordered to open defense In the suit, the two claim Dr. Zanetor Rawlings’ election was unlawful because she is not a registered voter.
At the last court hearing, the Presiding Judge, Justice Kweku Ackaah Boafo, threw out an application from the lawyers of Dr. Rawlings seeking to dismiss the suit brought against her.
In the ruling of the court, the judge Justice Kweku Ackaah Boafo said the motion was without basis. The lawyers were subsequently ordered to open their defense. The Electoral Commission, which has also been joined to the suit, is expected to also open its defense.
Meanwhile the Electoral Commission has confirmed that Dr. Rawlings is not a registered voter according to their records.
The EC made this known in a letter written by Chairperson, Charlotte Osei, to a private legal practitioner, Thaddeus Sory, giving him instructions to represent them in court.
Portions of the letter read "We write to instruct you to conduct the above suit on our behalf. We have received letters from the lawyers of the plaintiff [Nii Armah Ashittey], in the matter requesting information on the status of Dr Ezanetor Agyeman Rawlings as a registered voter as well as a subpoena …”
“Our records confirm that she is not on the commission’s register as a registered voter. Please take note and take appropriate steps to strike out the suit against the commission because it appears clearly from the processes served on the commission, that the only reason the commission has been made party to the suit, is because the plaintiff desires information on the status of Dr. Ezanetor Agyeman Rawlings as a registered voter, which by virtue of the subpoena, would have been bound to disclose to the court any.”
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