GRi Newsreel Ghana 21 - 12 - 2000
Ghana’ election moves to Supreme Court again
Electoral Commission admits errors in
results
NDC protests
against conduct of electoral officials
Dumashie calls for
Defence Policy
NDC's assertion is a sham - J.H. Mensah
NDC petitions Electoral Commission
NPP cautions Volta chiefs against NDC
manoeuvres
African Ambassadors bid Rawlings farewell
Sarikyi Zongo, elders dismiss allegations of
molestation in Ashanti
Take more serious action on gruesome murder-
women
National disability policy launched
Ministry announces public holidays
Accra (Greater Accra) 21 Dec 2000
Ghana’s elections which is to end almost two decades of President Jerry John Rawlings’ rule has move to the Supreme Court for the second time.
The Electoral Commission (EC) was this afternoon served with a writ following a suit filed by the Democratic People’s Party (DPP), one of the two small parties in alliance with the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), to restrain the EC from transferring votes of thousands of students who will be on vacation during the presidential run-offs scheduled for December 28.
The EC had announced that heads of institutions, which will be on vacation during the run-off should submit names of their students to the Commission to enable it effect a temporary transfer to the constituency where they will be spending the holidays.
The DPP says the EC’s action is illegal. But the Electoral Commission says its action is to ensure that no illegible voter is disenfranchised. A Joy FM news report says the court will begin hearing the case on Friday.
On December 4, the Supreme Court
seating on a case brought before it by a voter, believe to have been sponsored
by the NDC, ruled that both thumbprint and photo identity cards were valid as
document for voting. The plaintiff in that case had alleged that the EC’s move
to make the thumbprint ID invalid as a form of identification for voting was
going to disenfranchise him in the elections held on December 7.
In the first run of the elections Mr. John Agyekum Kufuor of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) obtained 48.17 percent of valid votes cast whiles Prof. John Evans Atta Mills of the ruling National Democratic Congress had 44.54. This necessitated a run-off election since none of the candidates obtain more than 50 percent of the votes as required by the country’s constitution. – Efam Awo Dovi, GRi.
Electoral Commission admits errors in
results
Accra (Greater Accra) 21 Dec. 2000
The percentage of valid votes cast for the two Presidential candidates now going into the run-off elections on December 28 has suffered slight drops after rechecking of results by the Electoral Commission.
Mr. J. A. Kufuor of the New Patriotic Party, whose share was 48.35 after the initial announcement, dropped to 48.17 whilst Prof. John Evans Atta Mills of the national Democratic Congress went down from 44.85 to 44.54.
Announcing this at a news briefing in Accra on Wednesday, Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, Electoral Commissioner, said Dr. Edward Mahama of the People’s National Convention went up from 2.5 to 2.9 per cent.
The briefing was in reaction to the news conference held by Mr. Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, National Campaign Manager of the NPP in which he alleged that there were some discrepancies and errors in the results published by the EC on December 11.
He said the global picture that had emerged had “in no way whatsoever altered the initial picture of the need for a run-off election” between the two candidates.
He noted that in “compiling the results of an election of the scale we had, which involved 200 constituencies and seven candidates, errors can easily occur even under the best of circumstances which could be corrected only with checking and rechecking of the figures until one is finally sure that they are not only correct but are also in the correct places, he said.
This is precisely the reason why election results are first given as provisional and also the reason why in Ghana we give copies of the same results to the political parties, so that they can also collate the results and call the Commission’s attention to any discrepancies that may ensue as between their compilation and ours.
“In any case, ladies and gentlemen of the press, before we received Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey’s letter, some people had quietly called our attention to some errors of inputting and addition, and we had also on our own already begun the rechecking process.
“In spite of the lack of clarity concerning the alleged differences with our figures, the Commission incorporated the markings indicated by Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey’s committee into our re-checking process.
“Ladies and Gentlemen: I wish to conclude by making three inter-related statements. First, by law the Chairman of the Electoral Commission is the returning officer for the presidential election. I do not intend to cede that responsibility to any officer of the Commission.
“I assure all stakeholders and the Ghanaian people that I will discharge that responsibility in good conscience and with integrity.
“Secondly, I consider it to be unprofessional and unethical for any media establishment to purport to declare the winner of our presidential election without reference to the Chairman of the Electoral Commission.
“Thirdly, the Ghanaian people have a right to expect our political parties and leaders to conduct themselves in such a manner as to ensure not only the peaceful conduct of elections but also the orderly and systematic collation of election results”. – Ghanaian Times
NDC protests
against conduct of electoral officials
Koforidua (Eastern Region) 21
December 2000
The Eastern Regional Secretariat
of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has protested against what it
described as "biased behaviour" of some of the electoral officers
during the December 7 elections in the region.
A statement by the secretariat in
Koforidua and signed by Mr. Bismark Tawiah Boateng, of the party's propaganda
team, alleged that some presiding officers and polling assistants were seen
directing voters to cast their votes for the NPP.
They were also seen whispering the
NPP slogan, "asie ho" to voters. It alleged that, where NDC polling
agents protested, they were ignored and even threatened to be locked up for
"causing trouble".
The statement said a policeman at
the Koforidua Central Polling Station threatened to lock up an NDC agent for
protesting against an electoral irregularity.
The NDC called on the Electoral
Commission (EC) to warn its staff to desist from such behaviour because the
party would not allow such irregularities to happen again.
It called for increased security
presence during the presidential run-off to minimise irregularities.
GRi…/
Dumashie calls
for Defence Policy
Accra (Greater Accra) 21 December
2000
Air Marshal Harry Dumashie, former
Chief of Defence Staff of the Armed Forces, on Wednesday called for a strategic
defence policy for Ghana.
He said a defence posture should
not necessarily be warlike rather the military should be developed to handle
national disasters and emergency including development strategies.
Air Marshal Dumashie was speaking
on "Defence Sector Restructuring: the Need for Improving Civil-Military
Relations," at a round-table discussion on "Reflections on
Security" organised by the African Security Dialogue and Research (ASDR).
It is an independent, non-profit
institute, which research security, conflict and civil-military relations in
emerging African democracies using the experiences and thoughts of seasoned
professionals.
Air Marshal Dumashie said
institutions linked to Ghana's National Security should be the concern of all
during constitutional rule.
" I believe, only through a
national security strategy can we lay proper plans for national decisions on
national objectives that can be passed on for conversion into freedom and
justice for the people of Ghana," he said.
Air Marshal Dumashie noted that
political leaders identify many national aspirations and objectives. Normally,
they produce a long list of aims, such as peace, prosperity and liberty, which
are mostly, promises to the electorate but these are not implemented because of
the absence of national institutions to do so.
"Experts are needed to
actively transform the intangible ideas into real missions. The institutions
that should actively pursue the task of reducing concepts into missions must be
established to take form and authority from our constitution and its directive
principles".
Air Marshal Dumashie said a
national strategy must mandate the security services to develop plans to deal
with recurrent objectives of government and national contingencies.
He emphasised that Ghana has to recognise
the fact that strategy and policy are the basic tools for reconciling genuine
conflicts.
"All instruments of national
power like political, diplomatic, economic and military instruments, are
relevant to resolving conflicts" he said.
The various instruments have their
own strategy to national objectives, he said, adding that the national mission
could be attained by co-ordinating them.
Although Ghana's economic and
diplomatic instruments have acquired some muscle and respectability because of
some international operations, integrated strategic co-ordination is lost at
all levels of national security concerns.
"May be we too easily assume
a complacent 'no enemy' position. However, when in time, facts turn out to be
other than flimsy assumptions, we would have no plans, no development, no
co-ordination; so therefore our strategic development will dangerously let us
down".
The former CDS stressed that the
formulation of a defence policy should not only be an annual affair but must
also be directed and supported.
"The facts rather than
assumptions about economic, political and the diplomatic realities of the
sovereign state must take conspicuous place in determining defence policy for
the year," he said.
GRi…/
NDC's assertion is a sham - J.H. Mensah
Sunyani (Eastern Region) 21 December 2000
Mr. John Henry Mensah, Minority Leader, has described the NDC's assertion that two million of its supporters did not vote on December 7 due to complacency as "a sham" that must be ignored by Ghanaians.
He said the minority parties are of the firm belief that such statements are being made by the NDC leadership "to prepare the grounds for a vast electoral fraud through the use of the three million excess names on the voters' register during the presidential run-off.
Mr. Mensah told the Ghana News Agency in Sunyani on Wednesday that the minority parties have seen through the trickery and deception behind these assertions and would do everything to thwart the abuse of the bloated register for partisan gains.
"There is no basis for the NDC to make such wild claims after its leadership copiously exploited state resources and personnel in agencies such as NADMO and National Mobilisation Programme to stimulate their supporters in every corner of the country."
The Minority Leader noted that if voter turnout in the last elections was below 60 per cent in some places, it did not denote that a large number of people abstained but was indicative that the register is extremely bloated.
Mr. Mensah said it is interesting for the NDC to claim that only its supporters failed to vote on December 7 when it ran the most extensive tour, received the biggest media coverage and mounted the most sustained and widest advertising campaigns.
"The fact is more than 55 per cent of voters want the NDC government changed and it is about time it graciously accepted this and stopped throwing dust into the eyes of the public."
Mr Mensah warned the NDC against using clandestine means to stay in power as recent events have proved clearly and convincingly that "whoever perpetuates himself in power against the will of the majority of the people cannot endure".
"The NDC, led by President Rawlings, toured the whole country during the electioneering campaign to render account of their stewardship and the overwhelming majority of Ghanaians found their performance unsatisfactory hence its defeat.
"The NDC can resurrect all the ghosts from the cemetery to vote for it during the run-off but still the will of the people will ultimately prevail," Mr Mensah added.
He alleged that attempts were being made to bribe electoral officials such as returning and presiding officers and cautioned them against yielding to such temptations.
He also urged the teeming supporters of the NPP and its allies to be extremely vigilant before, during and after the run-off so as to foil any rigging attempt by the NDC.
"We must never drop our guard as the price for freedom is eternal vigilance."
Mr Mensah, who was Finance Minister in the Busia administration, denied that the NPP and the Nkrumaists parties of the PNC and CPP are strange bed-fellows", saying that those who make such assertions are ignorant of the contemporary history of the country.
"The NPP has had a close working collaboration with the PNC and CPP members of parliament since the present parliament came into being four years ago. It is therefore not surprising or strange that they have thrown their weight behind the NPP in the run-off."
GRi…/
NDC petitions Electoral Commission
Accra (Greater Accra) 21 December 2000
The Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem constituency branch of the NDC has petitioned the Electoral Commission (EC) against the conduct of the district electoral officer and his three presiding officers during the collation of results of the general election on December 7 in the constituency.
In the petition, dated December 15, a copy of which was made available to the GNA in Accra on Wednesday, the NDC said it was the attitude of the electoral officer, Mr Kofi Hagan and three of his presiding officers which initially brought the results there into controversy.
The petition, signed by deputy constituency chairman Mr Ato Aabah, said had it not been for the vigilance of the NDC the electoral officers would have got away with the malpractice.
It said during the counting, it was realised that the results of 10 polling stations were not available at the collation centre, even though the ballot boxes of the polling stations had been received.
The statement said Mr Hagan and the three presiding officers could not offer any explanation when challenged.
It said a search of the counting centre uncovered one of the result slips hidden in a different ballot box.
It took almost three hours to find another six results, which were hidden under a seat of a lady who is a staff of the EC. The remaining three result slips could not be found.
The regional electoral officer decided that the presiding officers in charge of the three polling stations at Abrobiano Anafo, Abrobiano Etifi and Breman East should be brought down to find out where they kept their result slips
This took more than four hours and when they finally arrived the result slips were signed in the presence of all parties, the statement said.
It said the behaviour of Mr Charles Kwofie and Mr Gyesie Mensah the presiding officers made all assembled to become suspicious of their intentions.
The statement said although Dr Ato Quarshie won the election, some members of the CPP have twisted the malpractice to give the impression that it was Dr Quarshie who hid the ten boxes.
GRi…/
NPP cautions Volta chiefs against NDC
manoeuvres
Ho (Volta Region) 21 December 2000
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Wednesday called on chiefs and opinion leaders in the Volta Region to resist alleged manoeuvres by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to lure them to sacrifice their subjects for political gains.
Major Courage Quarshigah (Rtd), National Organiser of the NPP, making the call at a press conference at Ho alleged, among other things, that the NDC is whipping up tribal sentiments in the regions in the run-up to the December 28 presidential run-off between Mr. J.A. Kufuor of the NPP and Professor J.E.A. Mills of the NDC.
Major Quarshigah said this practice was creating a very dangerous situation in the region with serious implications for national unity and cohesion.
He therefore appealed to President Jerry John Rawlings to do all he can to ensure a peaceful free and fair election, saying, "the president has done his best to this point".
Major Quarshigah said such pronouncements as "the run-off is a war between the Ashantis and the Ewes, the Volta Region will be ceded to Togo under an NPP administration, that projects in the region, especially, will suffer under the NPP and allegations of molestation against Ewes in Accra, Kumasi and other parts of the country "are only setting the tone for a possible tribal conflict.
He further alleged that the NDC has set in motion processes to rig the presidential run-off in the region. "We have heard of emergency meetings in the Regional Minister's residence with chiefs in the region, the availability of 600,000 already thumbprint ballot papers, arrangements to move Togolese into the region five days before the run-off to vote for the NDC."
Other allegations refer to plans to frame up Major Quarshigah and the training of thugs to intimidate voters in the region, including NPP agents.
Major Quarshigah said the tremendous improvement in the performance of the NPP in the region as against the poor showing of the NDC has become a source of worry to the ruling party, which is "resolved to use every foul means to save face in the run-off".
"We in the opposition alliance for this run-off will do the best we can to prevent the NDC from recording any false figures that may result in setting up the Volta Region against other regions and the Ewes against other tribes," Major Quarshigah assured.
Mr. Agbeko Sedziafa (Rtd), Regional Chairman of the Convention People's Party (CPP), also alleged that 800 million cedis has been set aside by the NDC to be shared among chiefs in the region.
He further alleged that a delegation of chiefs from the region will be meeting their counterparts in the Central Region in connection with the presidential run-off.
At the press conference were Mrs Obaa Yaa Afrifa, National Women's Organiser, NPP; Elizabeth Ohene, BBC correspondent, Mr Emmanuel S. Ohene, member of the Volta Region NPP resource group, and Mr James Dogbe, Volta Regional chairman of the NPP.
GRi…/
African Ambassadors bid Rawlings farewell
Accra (Greater Accra) 21 December 2000
Ambassadors from African countries on Wednesday heaped praises on President Jerry John Rawlings for his sterling leadership qualities and said he has more years of service to render Africa when he steps down next January.
"Your Excellency is still in his prime and has several more years of service to render Africa and the rest of the world. Above all, Africa still needs you''.
In a statement read by Ambassador William Greaves of Liberia at the Castle, Osu, the Ambassadors said, ''we believe that in January 2001, you will merely be transiting from one assignment to another. We are certain that whatever the new assignment is, you will again use it to chalk another success."
The ambassadors called at the Castle to see the President officially for the last time. He steps down on January 7 next year when a new President is sworn in.
Mr Greaves, whose statement was signed by all the ambassadors, said President Rawlings has been a great inspiration to several African leaders.
''The courage which you have demonstrated during times of trial and your single-minded pursuit of the interest of your country and our continent will remain indelible footprints in the sands of time''.
Mr Greaves said President Rawlings was called to service at a relatively early age at a time when Ghana was experiencing trying times.
He said men of lesser courage and substance would easily have succumbed to the daunting problems with which he had to content with.
''Unbelievably, you faced the challenges with determination and in overcoming them made Ghana and indeed the entire continent of Africa proud''.
Mr. Greaves said for the 20 years that President Rawlings has been at the helm, the world has witnessed the steady transformation of Ghana from a state of near despair to one of confidence and hope.
''Your Excellency's heartbeat as an African has been demonstrated by your unbending posture at international forums and active participation to restore security, peace, sanity, self-esteem and social fairness in this continent''.
Mr. Greaves said Ghana's profile in international affairs has been on the ascendancy and its role in Liberia and Sierra Leone is worth mentioning.
''The people whose lives and properties were saved as a result of these interventions will always owe you a debt of gratitude''.
President Rawlings said in reply that since the turn of the decade, political reforms have been taking place in Africa and democracy is gaining roots.
However, he went on, in today's globalised world, African countries continue to be marginalised by an inequitable international economic order.
''In addition, our continent has been afflicted by a spate of intra-state and cross border conflicts which have dissipated our scarce resources and wrecked havoc on our economies''.
President Rawlings spoke about the need to make ECOWAS work and said Ghana quest for an enhanced economic development would be better facilitated if its economy is integrated with other members of the 16-nation sub-regional economic grouping.
GRi…/
Accra (Greater Accra) 21 December 2000
A UK election observation group, ERIS UK Election Observation Mission on Wednesday commended the Electoral Commission for conducting the December 7 elections in an organised and transparent manner.
A statement issued in Accra by the Mission said the elections were both lively and peaceful despite the dominance of the two main parties, the NDC and NPP, during the campaign.
"On election day mission members observed the opening of the polls, voting and counting processes, in Accra and the regions. Although long queues formed at many polling stations Ghanaians waited patiently and voting took place in a generally peaceful and orderly environment."
The good co-operation between election officials and candidate agents was a notable feature that contributed significantly to the positive atmosphere, the statement added.
The Mission, however, expressed regret on the decision of the Supreme Court to delay until January 17, 2001 the publication of the detailed reasons for its judgement on the issue of voter ID cards.
The statement said given the high public interest regarding this aspect of the election process, the mission believes that in the interests of openness and transparency the Supreme Court should have, at the very least, given outline reasoning for its decision.
The 10-member mission that was established in November this year said it hopes the single election and simplified procedures of the second round presidential election would speed up the processing of the results and declaration of the winner.
It has proposed to remain in Ghana until the run off has been completed.
GRi…/
Sarikyi Zongo, elders dismiss allegations
of molestation in Ashanti
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 21 December 2000
Alhaji Dan Sofo Ibrahim, Sarikyi Zongo of Kumasi, and his elders have not received complaints from Muslims or persons of northern extraction of any molestation in Kumasi or any other part of the Ashanti Region.
They have, however, heard rumours of such behaviours. They saud they will communicate to their counterparts in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions that the allegations are unfounded.
This was contained in a statement signed by the executives of some political parties in the Ashanti Region to the press after a meeting with the Sarikyi Zongo and his elders on Wednesday in Kumasi.
They are Mr O.T. Bonsu of the CPP, Opanin Kwame Afreh of the NRP, Mr F.F. Antoh of the NPP, and Mr T.T. Atigah of the PNC.
The statement noted that, after the meeting, it became clear that there was no iota of truth in the allegations of molestation.
It strongly believed that the main aim of the perpetrators of the misinformation, notable among them the Cozongo, a wing of the NDC, is to whip up anti-Ashanti sentiments among the Zongo communities in Ashanti and other parts of the country.
The statement further stated: "for instance, if these lies get to the three Northern Regions, it could incite the tribes to attack and molest the people of Ashanti there".
It therefore called on the public, particularly the Zongo communities and people from the three northern regions, to dismiss the malicious propaganda being peddled by people who would do everything to stick to power.
GRi…/
Badu (Brong Ahafo) 21 December 2000
Residents of Badu in the Wenchi District of Brong Ahafo Region are living in panic and fear following a communal violence last Sunday that led to the destruction of the car of the Omanhene of the area.
The car of Nana Boakye Yiadom II was allegedly set ablaze by a mob due to a protracted chieftaincy dispute.
A palace source told newsmen that the mob attacked the Omanhene's car as he drove through the town around 6.30 p.m. that day with stones and other offensive weapons, smashing the windscreens in the process.
The chief, the source said, however, managed to drive to the palace where he parked the car in an open space instead of the garage. Around 9.30 p.m., the car was seen in flames.
Meanwhile, a detachment of armed soldiers dispatched to the town to maintain law and order have arrested five persons suspected to be involved in the incident.
They are David Nkrumah, 44, Kofi Dada, 22, Kwabena Duku, 38, Kwaku Hubert, 28, and Nana Kwabena Porto, 50, chief fetish priest of the Kasampre shrine believed to be the symbol of protection and unity of Baduman.
GRi…/
Take more serious action on gruesome
murder- women
Accra (Greater Accra) 21 December 2000
The National Council on Women and Development (NCWD) on Wednesday called on the government to treat seriousness and urgency the horrifying and gruesome serial killings of women in Accra.
"We reiterate our call on the government to provide the police with equipment and needed logistics to be able to cope with the increasing new crimes especially these gruesome murders of women."
A statement signed by Mrs. Marian Tackie acting executive secretary, reaffirmed NCWD's strong condemnation of all forms of gender-based violence against women.
It said, "we are appalled therefore by the gruesome manner in which women continue to be murdered.
"Thirty women have been mysteriously murdered within three years in Accra alone in spite of protests of various forms from women and other concerned citizens," the statement noted.
It said it views with disappointment and great sorrow the fact that the perpetrators of this evil have still not been apprehended.
GRi…/
National disability policy launched
Accra (Greater Accra) 21 December 2000
Ms Margaret Novicki, Director of the United Nations information centre has said the most significant issue that needs to be addressed in terms of persons with disabilities is how to introduce them to information technologies.
Lunching the national disability policy on Wednesday in Accra, she noted that in this present age, no categories of persons should be excluded in the dissemination of information.
Mrs. Ama Benyiwa-Doe, Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Welfare said the 36-page document seeks to educate Ghanaians on the rights, potentials and the responsibility of both society and people with disabilities on issues that affect such persons.
She also called on civil society to help facilitate the employment of persons with disabilities in all sectors of the economy.
The national policy, she said, addresses the need for persons with disabilities to receive appropriate training, adequate technical aid and necessary support services to increase their capabilities to deal with the task and challenges in life in a dignified manner.
"Even though there are over one million people with disabilities in Ghana, most of the existing services seem to be concentrated in the urban centres," she said.
Mrs. Benyiwa-Doe said as a result of this limitation, a large proportion of persons with disabilities are unable to get access to these services.
She expressed the hope that the policy would initiate adaptations and changes in the prevailing environment and legislation in favour of persons with disability.
The Deputy Minister said the policy was designed to ensure that people with disabilities contribute to achieving the national vision of poverty reduction and improvement of the living conditions", she said.
GRi…/
Ministry announces public holidays
Accra (Greater Accra) 21 December 2000
The Ministry of Interior on Wednesday said Monday, December 25; Tuesday, December 26; Wednesday, December 27, 2000; and Monday, January 1, 2001 are public holidays.
A statement signed by the sector Minister, Nii Okaija Adamafio, said the days, which are Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Eid UI Fitr, and New Year's Day, are statutory public holidays and should be observed as such.
GRi…/