GRi Press Review Ghana 20 - 11 - 2000
NPP rigged election at Ablekuma election - Inusah
NDC's days are over
Polls predict 2nd round
GCPP will abolish VAT - Lartey
Kufuor demands fairness from EC
Tamale youth in peace march
'I did no wrong' - Nkrabeah
Next Presidential debate is on Nov. 29
NDC hit by serious indiscipline
Rawlings' nephew charged with manslaughter
NPP rigged election at Ablekuma election - Inusah
Alhaji Isaaka Inusah, a former campaign manager of Mr J.K. Kufuor,
presidential candidate of the NPP but now a staunch member of the NDC on
Saturday said the NPP rigged the recent Ablekumah bye-election, the Daily
Graphic quoted him as saying.
Alhaji Inusah disclosed at a Cape Coast rally that the party recruited
a number of people who were dressed in the same colours of the Electoral
Commission (EC) officials, coached to outwit the officials and voted several times.
He said a rigging team procured extra ballot papers for a large number
of NPP members, which enabled them to vote more than once.
"They were all given two ballot papers each, hence the NPP won by
more than 5,000 votes".
He said the NPP is playing a double game by screaming repeatedly that
the elections are being or will be rigged, while they do just that.
The Ablekuma Central parliamentary seat became vacant when Mr J.C.
Crabbe, the MP for the area, died after a short illness.
More…/
NDC's days are over
In another front-page capture, the Graphic says the NPP at the weekend
pulled what its presidential candidate, Mr J.A. Kufuor, described as the
party's biggest regional rally crowd, and said what is left is for the
supporters to translate their support into voting on December 7 to remove the
NDC from office.
Apparently moved by the milling crowd that converged at the vast
Techiman Methodist Park in the Brong Ahafo Region, Mr Kufuor who had a tough
time driving through thousands of the party supporters, shook his head when he
mounted the platform and said "the days of the NDC are over".
He urged the people of the region to be proud of themselves, for
showing that they are fed up with the NDC government's misrule, adding that the
huge attendance dismisses the assertion that the party is tribal based.
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Polls predict 2nd round
The Public Agenda says seventeen days to the December 7 elections,
independent poll results are predicting there will be no clear winner in the
first round of voting.
"A yet to be released poll commissioned from a group of
researchers put the New Patriotic Party (NPP) ahead of the National Democratic
Congress (NDC), but short of the required 51 per cent for a first round win.
Another poll by a group working for the Atta-Mills campaign has the
Vice-President leading with 42 per cent of the respondents and the NPP's John
Kufuor with 38," states the Agenda.
A report put together by the Allied Research of Mr Ben Ephson, editor
of 'The Dispatch' newspaper, said the opposition parties put together will fare
poorly in the parliamentary elections in which 1,067 candidates are contesting
for 200 seats.
It also indicated that none of the competing parties is likely to win
the presidential elections.
More…/
GCPP will abolish VAT - Lartey
Mr Dan Lartey, flagbearer of the Great Consolidated Popular Party says
should he win power in the forthcoming elections, he will abolish the Value
Added Tax (VAT) under his 'domestication' policy and revert to the sales,
personal and services tax system.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) he said the country
does not manufacture anything that necessitates the use of VAT as a tax system.
"We only import goods and put VAT on them to burden importers with
double VAT as most of those imports have attracted VAT in their countries of
origin," he said.
Lartey intoned that until the country 'domesticates and begins to
process its raw materials in local industries on a high scale, VAT would not be
an appropriate tax system in Ghana.'
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Kufuor demands fairness from EC
The Ghanaian Times, in a front-page story says Mr J.A. Kufuor,
flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) told the youth at the weekend that
next month's elections were about their future which he said could be
guaranteed only by an NPP-led government.
Addressing a large crowd of supporters at Techiman in the Brong Ahafo
Region, Mr Kufuor asked the Electoral Commission (EC), to be fair and allow the
elections to be free, fair and peaceful.
"On our part, we also pledge to remain peaceful and law-abiding.
But, we want to caution that if there is any attempt to subvert the will of the
people which they express by their votes, the good people of this country will
definitely rise up and demand justice", he said.
He pledged that if the NPP wins the elections and formed the next
government, it would accord President Jerry Rawlings, all the respect and
honour due him as a former head of state stipulated in the Constitution.
More…/
Tamale youth in peace march
The Times again carries a banner story that says members of youth
associations including those of various political parties in the Tamale
Municipality undertook a peace march on Saturday to press home the need for peace
before, during and after next month's general elections.
The march, organised by the League of Youth Association saw some of
them spotting colours of the various parties and carrying placards with
inscriptions like, "NDC, NPP, UGM, CPP, NRP, PNC and GCPP, we are all one
people."
Addressing the rally, Mr Ada Salisu, president of the Association, said
that recent disturbances on the political scene prompted the association to
organise the march to demonstrate that political opponents were not enemies.
A common message from some party functionaries who addressed the
demonstrators was the need for tolerance and respect for elders to ensure
peaceful electioneering campaign and elections to facilitate development in the
country.
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'I did no wrong' - Nkrabeah
The Independent says Captain (Rtd) Nkrabeah Effah Dartey, who was
blamed by out-going President Rawlings and his ruling NDC for an outbreak of
violence in Berekum in the Brong Ahafo Region, has denied responsibility for
the incident.
Captain Dartey who is challenging the incumbent NDC MP, J.H. Owusu
Acheampong, in a sworn statement, dismissed as pure fabrication, attempts by
Rawlings and his NDC to blame him for what took place at Berekum a few days
ago.
During a press conference in Accra on Friday he called for an
independent judicial enquiry into the Berekum crisis and demanded the
re-opening of CHRIS FM at Berekum, which has been closed down by the
government, since the incident.
President Rawlings in an address at an NDC rally at Tarkwa, blamed
Nkrabea for the violence, for making provocative statements on the radio
however, the former army officer said his message on air, which is recorded on
tape appealed for peace rather than incitement.
GRi…/
Next Presidential debate is on Nov. 29
The Ghanaian Voice says it can reveal that another presidential debate,
this time involving Vice-President J.E. Atta-Mills, organised by the Institute
of Economic Affairs (IEA) is coming on.
The paper says for the past weeks, the IEA and the Ghana Broadcasting
Corporation have been working on the format, the selection of the moderator,
the anchor crew and all those who will have something to do with the programme.
All the seven parties contesting the elections have reportedly, been
invited but the GCPP, NRP, UGM and the PNC are those that have confirmed their
participation while responses from the NDC, NPP and the CCP are expected this
week.
Most likely, the debate would come off on November 29.
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NDC hit by serious indiscipline
The NPP News reports that with certain defeat starring it in the face,
the ruling NDC is having to contend with growing indiscipline within its ranks,
as top gurus defy and dare it without fear of sanctions.
The paper says nearly eight weeks after the NDC's ultimatum to its
rebellious big shots who have defected to stand as Independent parliamentary
candidates, not one of them has obeyed the directive or heeded the pleas to
return to the weakening fold.
The gurus, smart enough to know the approaching wind of change to
consign the NDC to the bin of history on December 7, have clearly jumped ship
and literally told the party to go to hell as they pit themselves against the
party's choices.
Foreign Minister, James Victor Gbeho, is said to personify the
indiscipline, signifying the obvious weakness of the leadership of presidential
candidate, Prof. J.E. Atta-Mills, as Gbeho, despite his conduct of sticking his
fingers in the eyes of the party still basks in his post.
GRi…/
Rawlings' nephew charged with manslaughter
The Dispatch reports that the trial of 26-year old nephew of President
Jerry John Rawlings, Emmanuel Addy, alleged to have caused the death of a
27-year-old driver, Kwesi Kumah, has now been moved from the Tema Community
Tribunal to the High Court.
Credible sources available to the paper hinted that as per advice from
the Attorney-General's Department, Addy, also known as Nii Duodu, has been
charged with manslaughter.
Police sources said on August 29, 1999, the witness in the case joined
a taxi cab driven by the deceased which made a sudden stop at Site Three in
Tema near Accra, due to a stone throwing incident involving an urvan bus.
Duodu, who was following closely in a Suzuki Land Cruiser had to apply
the brakes sharply to avoid hitting the rear of the taxi cab and despite
apologies from the driver and his passenger, he pursued the vehicle to slap the
driver, who fell flat, unconscious and bleeding.
Duodu is said to have conveyed the driver to the Port clinic where he
was pronounced dead on arrival.
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