NPP, NDC begin talks / Transition Team holds first meeting
Ghana’s democracy has come of age - Mahama
Annan tells Kufuor to use NDC Ministers
The last kicks of a dying horse
Kufuor’s victory – was vote against AFRC, PNDC, NDC
NPP, NDC begin talks / Transition Team holds first meeting
Vice President J.E.A Atta Mills of the NDC and President elect, Mr J.A. Kufuor of the NPP on Monday led a high powered transitional team from both sides to discuss issues relating to the inauguration of Mr Kufuor as the next President of the Republic, report the state owned Daily Graphic and The Ghanaian Times.
The team, which was in deliberations for several hours, included on the NDC side, Mr Martin Amidu, Prof. Mills’ running mate in the elections, Mr Kwame Preprah, Minister of Finance, Mr Kofi Totobi Quakyi, Minister responsible for National Security, Nana Ato Dadzie, Chief of Staff and Dr Kwabena Dufuor, Governor of the Bank of Ghana among others.
The NPP side had, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, Vice-President elect, Prof. F.T. Sai, a renowned population expert, Nana Akufo-Addo, and Mrs Gladys Asmah, Members of Parliament.
After exchange of pleasantries, the team broke into a number of committees and entered into serious discussions that excluded the press.
One committee was to plan activities related to the January 7 inaugural ceremonies to swear-in Mr Kufuor as President and Mr Aliu Mahama as Vice-President.
Another is also to handle matters related to the hand over of the Office of the President while there is yet one to be responsible for the transfer of government ministries and departments to the incoming government.
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Ghana’s democracy has come of age - Mahama
Dr Edward Nasigre Mahama, Presidential candidate of the People’s National Convention (PNC) in the December 7 elections, has described the conduct of the presidential run-off as a manifestation of the maturity and readiness of Ghanaians to operate a constitutional democracy.
Dr Mahama told the Graphic in an interview that with the highly successful conduct of the polls, the acceptance of the results by all the parties and the gracious concession by the Vice President, Professor J.E.A. Mills and the smooth steps towards effecting a transfer of power, Ghanaians were once again pointing the way forward for Africa in a bid to entrench democracy and the rule of law on the continent.
He intimated that he would definitely not accept to serve in the next government however the PNC, as a party, would consider such roles if its services were requested.
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Annan tells Kufuor to use NDC Ministers
The Speaker of Parliament, Mr Justice D.F. Annan, has suggested to the President elect, Mr J.A. Kufuor, to include some former Ministers of the NDC in his new Cabinet because they are experienced in governance, reports the Times in a front-page capture.
“These are people who have been in the government business for the past eight years with a wealth of expertise and knowledge to help in forming the next government of President Kufuor for the nation’s development,” he said.
Mr Justice Annan, who spoke to the Times in an interview expressed his wish for old hands to be put on deck to steer the affairs of government rather than bringing new faces on board who knew little or nothing about government, adding that “new faces may come but the old ones should form the majority.”
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The last kicks of a dying horse
The Guide in a back-page story says the outgoing President, Flt. Lt. J.J. Rawlings closed his chapter of history on the political scene of the country with a complete embarrassment of himself and his defeated NDC government at the last celebration of the 31st December Revolution.
The President reportedly used the platform of the celebration to comment on the just ended election and questioned the true mandate of the people for the NPP.
The President who likened the country to a biblical occurrence where a baby was desired by a contesting woman to be slashed into two contrary to the wishes of the other, said “it is better that we (NDC and allies) do not do anything that will lead to cutting the baby into two. Let us preserve the baby and let us see how well they (NPP) would be able to look after the baby.”
“I am not saying this as an indictment of what has taken place”, he said, arguing further that if they were to go by what has happened on the election days and the research work that has been done by the NDC then there are too many questions to ask.
He said for the love of the country he would have exposed some of the things that clearly show that some of our referees showed open bias and accused the opposition of deliberately capitalising on the murder of women in recent times to score political points.
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Kufuor’s victory – was vote against AFRC, PNDC, NDC
The Ghanaian Voice says when Ghanaians went to the polls on December 7 and December 28 they went to the polls to make a democratic judgement on the total value of the AFRC, PNDC / NDC.
“In the minds eyes of the electorates they were taking a decision on the AFRC and PNDC / NDC,” states the paper.
It said Professor J.E.A. Mills, although the Presidential candidate for the NDC, did not matter much to the voters as he was seen as an honest man who was an innocent victim of the rallying cry for ‘Positive Change’.
Professor Mills, was reportedly seen within his own party as an outsider and did not belong to any of the many factions operating within the NDC.
This is said to have been recognised by the electorate who perceived that Prof. Mills was only fronting for President Rawlings who was hiding in the background to manipulate and out-manoeuvre after he had won.
The electorates however put into sharp focus the record of the AFRC, the PNDC / NDC and voted according.
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