THE Omanhene of the New Juaben Traditional Area, Daasebre Oti Boateng, has said it is a misrepresentation to say that the person to be elected president must have “50 per cent plus one” of the votes cast.
He said the statement “50 per cent plus one” was not correct and also not found anywhere in the Constitution.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday, Daasebre Oti Boateng was unhappy that people who were expected to know better were going about repeating the phrase.
He said “50 per cent plus one” was impossible and was what could be termed “non-additive entities”.
Quoting from Article 63 Clause Three of the Constitution, he emphasised the clarity of the Constitution on the basis for the election of the president.
“A person shall not be elected as President of Ghana unless at the presidential election the number of votes cast in his favour is more than 50 per cent of the total number of valid votes cast at the election,” he quoted.
“The operative words here are ‘More than 50 per cent of the total number of valid votes cast’,” he said.
“In stating “more than 50 per cent”, the Constitution had taken into account all the votes and transmuted them into percentages. Therefore, there is no single number left anymore.
“You cannot, therefore, render what the Constitution says in percentages and numbers at the same time; that is incorrect. It is like trying to add water and petrol. Once you are in the realm of percentages, you cannot also be talking about numbers. It is statistically and mathematically incorrect and a false basis on which to base the election of the president,” he added.
09.12.08
DAILY GRAPHIC, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2008, PG 3
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