Member of Parliament (MP) for South Dayi Constituency, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has said that the Electoral Commission (EC) must clearly outline the criteria for disqualifying aspiring presidential candidates in elections.

According to him, it is unfortunate that the EC disqualifies aspirants without explicitly stating the grounds for their disqualification.

“So what are the criteria for disqualifying these people? State it clearly in a formal communication because they have a power under the law to appeal that decision and the law says within seven days.

“So when people complain about the approach that you used to disqualify them, that cannot be proper,” he said. 

Speaking on Newsfile on Saturday, September 28, Mr Dafeamekpor said that the EC does not set the requirements for qualification criteria; rather, these are enshrined in law.

He explained that disqualifying presidential aspirants is a serious issue and not something that should be done arbitrarily.

“Whimsically in the sense that what exactly is the basis of their disqualification? The nomination is just a process, it can not be a criterion for disqualification.

“Your mandate as an Electoral Commission constitutionally setup is to give effect to the criteria set out in the constitution. So when you give out a checklist, you must be very clear as to what the people should do. I heard him say that they invited some persons back to make certain corrections, that is what they’re supposed to do,” he said.

The South Day MP said that when the EC provides candidates with opportunities to correct any issues, and the candidates fail to comply, the EC is obligated to formally notify them in writing.

However, he stressed that the Commission failed to fulfill this responsibility.

“According to the letter given out by the Movement for Change, some persons were contacted by WhatsApp messages. That cannot be a proper procedure in dealing with this matter,” he added.

The EC has disqualified eleven presidential aspirants, two of whom have sued the Commission seeking to overturn the decision.