GRi Press Review 09 - 12 - 2000
NPP takes firm lead
18 MPs now casualties
Hagan, Wereko-Brobby concede defeat
NPP takes firm lead
The Daily Graphic reports that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has taken
a firm and commanding lead in both the presidential and parliamentary elections
held throughout the country last Thursday.
Confirmed results from the Electoral Commission (EC) indicate that the
leading opposition party has won 42 out of 53 constituencies with the ruling
party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) badly trailing behind it.
Out of a total 1,956,766 votes cast in the 53 certified constituencies
as at Thursday evening, the presidential candidate of the NPP, Mr John Agyekum
Kufuor, had obtained 1,181,584 votes registering 60.4 per cent of votes
cast.
The flagbearer of the NDC, Professor John Atta Mills had 692,805 votes
being 35.4 per cent of total votes cast.
Mr Dan Lartey of the GCPP has 14,501 (0.7 per cent), Prof. George
Hagan, CPP (0.7), Dr Edward Mahama PNC, (1.6), Dr Charles Wereko-Brobby UGM
(0.2) and Mr Goosie Tanoh (1.0) per cent.
"The revealing aspect in the results was the convincing ability of
the NPP to win in hitherto strongholds of the NDC, especially, in the Brong
Ahafo and Western Regions as well as some NDC strongholds in the Greater
Accra.
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18 MPs now casualties
Certified results of the December 7 polls reported by the Graphic so
far show that as many as 18 MPs have been swept off their seats.
The first on the list is one time Majority Leader in Parliament now
Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr J.H. Owusu Acheampong, who has lost her
Berekum seat to NPP's Captain Nkrabea Effah Dartey.
Another victim is the Interior Minister, Nii Okaidja Adamafio of the
NDC, beaten in the Ododiodio constituency which he had won from Mr Samuel Odoi
Sykes, current national chairman of the NPP, in 1996. Adamfio went down with his deputy Mr Kwaku Acheampong Bonful
(Prestea Huni Valley)
Other NDC members who have suffered defeat include Mr I.K. Adjei-Mensah
(Techiman North), Alhaji Kwadwo Mahama Adam (Techiman South), and Mr Richard
Dornu Nartey (Shama).
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr Joshua Alabi (Krowor), Deputy
Minister of Mines and Energy, Mr Samuel Abingya (Bolgatanga) and Sq. Ldr.
C.M.K. Sowu (rtd) all contesting on the NDC ticket lost their seats.
Meanwhile, Mr Huudu Yahaya, General Secretary of the ruling NDC has
expressed the party's disappointment over the performance of some of its
parliamentary candidates in Thursday's elections, though admitting that it was
too early to make any generalisation.
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Hagan, Wereko-Brobby concede defeat
Two presidential candidates have conceded defeat in Thursday's
elections. They are Professor George Panyin Hagan of the Convention People's
Party (CPP) and Dr Charles Wereko-Brobby of the United Ghana Movement (UGM).
However, Mr Dan Lartey, flagbearer of the Great Consolidated Popular
Party (GCPP), said that it was too early for him to accept defeat since only
about a third of the total results had been released.
Prof. Hagan told the Times in a telephone interview with the GNA that
the results so far released indicate that "the CPP lost in all the areas
we consider as our strong holds, namely Northern Ghana, the Central and Western
regions."
"At the moment, we have not won even a single Parliamentary seat
and there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel," he said.
Dr Charles Wereko-Brobby also in a telephone call said' "the
people of Ghana have spoken and we cannot do anything than to accept it."
He said though the results indicate that the people did not want to
take chances with the kind of change his party wants, "it still reflects
the electorate desire for change in government".
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