The lead story on the front page of the Independent reads “Ablemkuma Central; by-elections to be Postponed” According to the story, the by-election for the Ablekuma Central seat may not be held on March 12, 1999 as previously announced by the Electoral Commission (EC), due to a strong representation by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) at an emergency meeting of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) held last Thursday. According to the paper, clause 5 of Article 112 of the constitution states that when ever a vacancy occurs in Parliament, the clerk of Parliament shall notify the Electoral Commission in writing within seven days and a by-election shall be held within thirty days after the vacancy occurred. But the second Parliament of the Second Republic, amended it and added that …..”where a vacancy is created by the death of an MP, the by-election shall be held within 60 days after the occurrence of the vacancy.” On the strength of the amended clause, the NPP is requesting that the elections be postponed and also because, Mr Samuel Crabbe, who the NPP member for that is yet to be buried.
