EC does not recognise GCPP executive officers

The Electoral Commission (EC) has reiterated that it does not recognise the so-called National Executive Officers of the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP) purported to have been elected at a national congress held at the Prempeh Assembly Hall in Kumasi on June 7, 2008.
“The position of the Commission on the matter is that Mr Dan Lartey and the GCPP have not complied with the requirements that the internal organisation of all political parties must conform to democratic principles”, it said.
This was contained in a statement signed by the acting Public Affairs Director of the EC, Mr C Owusu-Parry, on behalf of the EC Chirman, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan.
It said the law regulating political parties in the country required that political parties must first hold elections supervised by the EC to select constituency and regional executives before holding a national congress to elect national officers.
“The GCPP failed to comply with the law by proceeding to hold a national congress for the election of national executive officers without having held elections at the constituency and regional levels under the supervision of the EC. It is against this background that the Commission does not recognise the so-called national officers of the party elected at the said congress”, the statement added.
On the status of Mr Dan Lartey as the chosen candidate of the party, the commission explained that it had no obligation under the law to supervise the election of candidates at political party primaries.
“Again the Commission wishes to register its abhorrence of Mr Dan Lartey’s persistent reference to a Director in the Commission as a clerk. The Commission finds such remarks an affront on the dignity and position of the officer, and advises Mr Dan Lartey to desist from such references,”, the statement said.