I was disappointed; I leave the matter to the court of conscience - Gyakye Quayson
Ousted Assin North MP Joe Gyaakye Quayson has said he is saddened by the Supreme Court's decision to strike outhis record as a member of parliament.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision, ordered the Ghanaian parliament to remove his name from his record as an MP. The court ruled that the Electoral Commission acted illegally byallowing him to enter the 2020 parliamentary electionswithout proof that he was aCanadian citizen when he applied in October 2020 to run for office. Legislative elections in the Assin-Nord region.
Mr. Quayson said, in a letter, that although the Electoral Commission (EC) reviewed the withdrawal certificate in November 2020, before allowing it to be voted,according to the EC regulations, and the law assuming that it is always, the Court decided that it should have provided the EC with this evidence during its application, and put the decision in the background to invalidate it. He said: “It is common knowledge that I applied to renounce my Canadian citizenship in December 2019. It is also common knowledge that I left Canada in February 2020. It is also common knowledge that once I apply to renounce my Canadian citizenship and leaveCanada, I lose all rights toCanadian citizenship. It is also known that I received acertificate of exemption from the Canadian Embassy in Accra in November 2020.” He went on to say, "It is also known that Canadian law does not say that I owe Canada support, even if I have written a letter of pardon. In fact, Canadian law is unequivocal that disaffiliation is personaland can be done at any time, including immediately after taking the oath of citizenship. Therefore, under Canadian law, I have no legal status in Canada at any time. » Mr Quayson said: “Of course, I am disappointed by the Court'sdecision. I am surprised that the Court is now saying that foreign workers decide whether Ghanaians who are born citizens are eligible to contest parliamentary elections in Ghana or not. For example, a country that does not allow revocation of citizenship may prohibit a Ghanaian by birth,who has severed ties to thecountry in which citizenship was obtained, from running for MP.
Nevertheless, he said that he continued to try the case in court and now will leave (the case) in the court of conscience, which Ghandi reminds us, represents all other courts. He sees the constituency as his priority and contributes to the development of his constituency as usual. The sacked Member of Parliament for Assin North assured his fellow citizens that nothing has changed and thathe will work harder than before to gain their support and achieve the set goals. “I thank the brave people of Assin North, the leaders of the NDC, my lawyers and many Ghanaians, from all political parties, who supported me during this crisis.Together, we must ensure that we build a progressive and inclusive society that does not treat any of our citizens as second-class citizens. May God bless our motherland, Ghana, and bless my beloved region ofAssin North and its people,” he concluded the letter.
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