Only photo ID card holders can vote -
Afari-Gyan
Arrest Inusah for electoral offence –NPP
Inusah maintains that NPP rigged Ablekuma
election
Bonful urges EC to take Inusah's allegation
seriously
IGP on Inusah's claims of election rigging
Botwe challenges Inusah over rigging
allegations
Claims over plane crash to be lodged with
AIRLINK – SIC
Vote for competent
candidates - DCE
NPP would remove
NDC through ballot box - Chairman
NMC advises media to ensure fairness in
political coverage
NPP government won't be vindictive Kufuor
Gamey says
strikers must follow labour rules
Local election observers must be impartial -
Afari-Djan
EC asked to clarify position on
thump-printed cards
GJA/EC to come out with conduct of declaring
election results
Fake ballot papers in circulation at Salaga
Youth urged to vote for Prof. Mills
Ada Songor Salt Project denies press
allegations
Only photo ID card holders can vote -
Afari-Gyan
Accra (Greater Accra) 21 November 2000
The Electoral Commissioner on Monday said that only photo identity card holders will be allowed to vote on Election Day.
Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, speaking at the 14th Speakers' Breakfast Forum, said the decision, which was taken by the EC after discussions with the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC), is meant to rid the voters' register of ghost names.
The meeting, chaired by Mr Justice Daniel Francis Annan, Speaker of Parliament, was attended by Mr Ken Dzirasah, First Deputy Speaker, representatives of all the political parties, civil society groups and the Ghana Journalists Association.
The Electoral Commissioner said the decision is to ensure that only accredited persons vote. It is also to eliminate double voting and chaos on polling day.
"It has been discovered that a lot of the people on the register who have so far not taken their pictures simply don't exist; they are dead," Dr. Afari-Gyan said.
"The photo-taking exercise is also rendering redundant multiple registrations by people who had moved residence or lost their voter identity cards."
The Electoral Commissioner said "all this would lead the EC to believe that the successful completion of the replacement of the thumb-print cards will give us a reasonable indication of the number of registered voters".
Dr. Afari-Gyan said a revised voters' register has been printed and sent to the regions and districts in readiness for the elections. The voters' list has also been made available to the political parties on CD Roms.
"The EC could not get the printed registers to the various political parties due to lack of money ... as was done in 1996," he said.
Dr Afari-Gyan said the decision in 1996 to provide political parties with the voters' register was an assistance, which could not be funded this time round.
The printing of the voters' register to each party, according to him, would cost 50 million cedis each.
Dr. Afari-Gyan said the census data on the total population aside, "there is evidence to indicate that there are excess names on our voters' register, even though we (EC) cannot indicate exactly how many."
He said a few instances of plain fraudulent registration have been discovered, but evidence relating to excess or unqualified names has come from the exercise to replace all thumbprint voter identity cards in all the 10 regions.
Dr. Afari-Gyan noted that an election is a process that involves varied preparations and said "we have been making preparations towards the upcoming elections for a long time now".
On the position of candidates on the ballot paper, Dr. Afari-Gyan said the new method of balloting has the advantage of a consistent arrangement of parliamentary candidates nation-wide, which makes the printing of ballot papers easier than having to observe different arrangements for different constituencies.
"It also puts an end to the usual rush in the past by candidates to get nominated first, which sometimes resulted in intractable arguments about who entered the Commissioner's premises first," he said.
Dr. Afari-Gyan thanked the donor community for its generous assistance, saying: "they have enhanced our capacity to deliver credible and trustworthy elections".
He gave the assurance that the EC is ready and very capable of ensuring free and fair elections and urged the public to lend their support to ensure peaceful elections.
Dr. Afari-Gyan deplored instances of political violence and said they threaten to mar the significance and beauty of the December vote.
He said the trend is surprising since the political parties recently publicly subscribed to a code of conduct that forbids resort to any form of physical or verbal violence during campaigning.
Alhaji Huudu Yahaya, General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), said the strict use of photo identity cards in the elections must be looked at carefully. This should be done so as not to disenfranchise a large number of people who could not get a photo identity card for one reason or the other.
He asked the EC to devise a fair system where persons who have lost their cards but have their names in the register could vote.
Mr John Amekah, General Secretary of the Great Consolidated People's Party (GCPP), said anyone without the photo identity card should not be allowed to vote.
"Anyone who does not have the photo identity card must blame himself and nobody else. This is a sure way to get the ghost names from the voters' register," he said.
Mr Dan Botwe, General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), asked Ghanaians to follow the rules and regulations laid down by the EC to ensure a smooth election.
He asked the EC to find a means of developing supplementary guidelines for the benefit of voters and political parties.
Mr Justice Annan called for a legal framework to ensure that people are not denied their franchise in the elections.
He expressed satisfaction with the choice of indelible ink that would be used in the vote, saying he has been told that it is one of the best in the world.
Mr Justice Annan said there was nothing wrong with the NPP's decision to declare results so long as it is what the EC had already declared.
He urged Ghanaians to lend their spiritual, moral and political support to the EC as it strives to organise free and fair elections.
He said the EC, however, cannot be above criticism, especially if it does something that is obviously wrong. However, such criticisms must not translate into outright condemnation at the slightest opportunity.
GRi…/
Arrest Inusah for electoral offence –NPP
Accra (Greater Aaccra) 21 November 2000
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Monday called for the arrest of its former campaign manager, Alhaji Issaka Inusah, for his alleged involvement in electoral offences in the Ablekuma Central Constituency by-election in 1999.
"The police should institute immediate investigations into the allegation by Alhaji Inusah because NPP is not interested in electoral malpractice and was not involved in such an act during the by-election," Mr Kwadwo Afari, NPP Public Relations Officer, said.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra on the alleged rigging of the Ablekuma Central Constituency by-election, Mr Afari said: "it is a false and calculated attempt to satisfy his (Inusah's) pay master".
Alhaji Inusah, who earlier this year hit the news headlines with the announcement of his defection to the NDC, has since been campaigning against his former party as a member of the NDC presidential campaign team.
He alleged at a rally of the NDC at Cape Coast over the weekend that he took part in rigging the by-election at Ablekuma Central, which enabled the NPP to win.
Mr Afari said," To admit involvement in an electoral offence is criminal for which he should not be allowed to move about freely."
He said since the inception of the fourth republic, NPP has been on the warpath for free, fair and transparent elections and would not in any way be involved in such negative practices.
Mr Afari said the Ablekuma Central by-election was a regional contest and the national campaign manager was not involved in planning or implementing strategies. He said that constituency is an NPP stronghold and the party did not need to rig to win.
The NPP Regional Secretary Nii Ayitey Boafo described Alhaji Inusah as a confused man struggling to come to the limelight through foul means no matter the cost to others.
"Such a person should be ignored, since his credibility is seriously in doubt by both the opposition and his new found friends," he said
Nii Boafo also said, as the national campaign manager Alhaji Inusah was not directly involved in the by-election, adding that the regional chairman and current national campaign manager, Mr Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, headed the campaign committee.
Nii Boafo also called on the Electoral Commission to investigate the conduct of all the officials involved in the by-election to ascertain the truth or otherwise of the allegations.
Nii Boafo said, "Alhaji Inusah's appointment as the campaign manager in 1996 was based on his hard work during the primaries; however, he was peeved when in 1998 Mr Kufuor appointed Jake to the position."
The public elections regulations state, among other things, that any person found guilty of an election offence is liable to a fine, imprisonment or both and could be disqualified from voting in subsequent elections or from holding public office.
GRi…/
Inusah maintains that NPP rigged Ablekuma
election
Accra (Greater Accra) 21 November 2000
Alhaji Issaka Inusah, former campaign manager of the New Patriotic Party who has defected to the NDC on Monday said he still stands by a statement he made in Cape Coast at the weekend that his former party rigged the Ablekuma Central by-election.
In statement Alhaji Inusah expressed surprise at the hasty conclusion drawn by Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, EC chairman in reaction to his allegation. This he said shows that the commissioner, "really does not know what happens at the polling stations."
He said it was in anticipation of such pronouncement from the EC and possible denial by the NPP that he decided to phone the Inspector-General of Police immediately after the NDC rally to formally lodge the matter with him.
He stated that he does not know what interest Dr Afari-Gyan has in defending the NPP instead of investigating his statement.
"The most prudent thing was for the EC to have contacted me for details to help plug the loopholes that were exploited by the NPP and stop their cheating," he said.
Alhaji Inusah said that he was opposed to the "double standards" of the NPP, adding that they are fond of pointing accusing fingers at the NDC "when they are the ones doing the wrong things under the cover of darkness."
GRi…/
Bonful urges EC to take Inusah's allegation
seriously
Accra (Greater Accra) 21 November 2000
The Deputy Minister of the Interior and MP for Huni Valley/Prestea, Mr Kwaku Bonful on Monday expressed disappointment at the reaction of the Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, over the allegation by Alhaji Issaka Inusah, former campaign manager of NPP that the NPP rigged the 1999 Ablekuma Central by election.
Speaking in Accra, Mr Bonful said "such a serious allegation should not have been trivialised and dismissed outright by the commission."
Mr Bonful recalled similar reports during the 1992 and 1996 elections and said the disclosure by Alhaji Inusah may only be 'a tip of the iceberg'.
"The electoral commission should, therefore, not lose the opportunity to look into the allegations in the interest of transparency to make the forthcoming elections truly free and fair," he said.
Mr Bonful said, "a person of Alhaji Inusah's stature would not make such a public confession which has far-reaching implications if he was not sure of his facts."
In the view of Mr Bonful, the revelation does not augur well for the credibility of the electoral process hence the need to treat the matter with all the seriousness that it deserves.
GRi…/
IGP on Inusah's claims of election rigging
Accra (Grater Accra) 21 November 2000
Mr Peter Nanfuri, Inspector General of Police, on Monday said that the police will not arrest Alhaji Isaaka Inusah, former campaign manager of the New Patriotic Party and now with the National Democratic Congress, over his statement last weekend that he helped rig the 1999 parliamentary bye-election at Ablekuma Central for the NPP.
"We cannot react to such complaints unless a formal complaint is lodged with the police. We do not want to get into politics when the facts are not known," Mr Nanfuri told the Ghana News Agency in a telephone interview in Accra.
Alhaji Inusah's case is not a straightforward offence, Mr Nanfuri said, adding: "unless the Electoral Commission and NPP report to the police, we are not going to investigate it".
Last Saturday at an NDC rally at Cape Coast, Alhaji Inusah, who recently defected to the NDC, accused the NPP of rigging the bye-election, which the NPP won by 5,000 votes. Alhaji Inusah said: "I know what I am saying because I was in the centre of it".
GRi…/
Botwe challenges Inusah over rigging
allegations
Accra (Greater Accra) 21 November 2000
Mr Dan Botwe, General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), on Monday denied allegations by Alhaji Isaaka Inusah, former campaign manager of the party, that they rigged the bye-election held at Ablekuma Central in March 1999.
"Alhaji Inusah should prove his case," he said. "Alhaji Inusah is only a frustrated man because he was seeking a position in the party as a Member of Parliament but we refused him the opportunity," Mr Botwe told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra. He denied that the vote was fraught with irregularities.
Alhaji Inusah has now defected to the National Democratic Congress (NDC). Mr Botwe said: "The bye-election was a constituency matter and could not have been supervised by the national campaign manager.
"I was personally in charge of the Ablekuma Central election for the NPP and can confidently say that nothing like that ever took place." Mr Botwe denied that some NPP supporters were arrested during the bye-election or after that.
Mr Jake Obestebi Lamptey, national campaign manager of the NPP, said he would write formally to the EC to complain about the allegation.
Alhaji Huudu Yahaya, NDC General Secretary, on his part said: "it is for the NPP to prove their innocence instead of embarking on intimidating tactics as they are doing now". He said he heard of reports of rigging and that some boys were arrested and handed over to the police.
"I cannot tell how far the police investigations went and we are yet to hear from them (police) on the issue."
He called on the Electoral Commission (EC) to ensure that the situation is not repeated anywhere in the December elections.
"The EC should ensure that its officials guarantee their neutrality and remain firm at their work to avoid such situations," Alhaji Yahaya said.
"This also means that the EC and the various political parties should collaborate to plug all the loopholes in the current system."
GRi…/
Claims over plane crash to be lodged with
AIRLINK – SIC
Accra (Greater Accra) 21 November 2000
The State Insurance Company (SIC) on Monday said all victims of the June 5 plane crash in Accra and their agents should lodge their claims with Airlink.
A statement signed by Mr K. Kunadu-Yiadom, Head of Public Relations, said the solicitors are requesting further information on the crash and until these are fully met, no claims can be paid.
The statement said the agreement between them makes it clear that Airlink, which is operated by the Ghana Armed Forces, is the only competent party to identify and give details of the injured persons.
"In the circumstances, claim notifications received at the offices of the SIC have rightly been referred to Airlink for action as may be required," it said.
Several people died in the crash, which occurred in pouring rain as the F27 approached the Kotoka International Airport. SIC is the insurer of the plane.
The statement said some victims of the crash have either through their solicitors or personal letters put in claims for compensation.
"Others who have been discharged from the 37 Military Hospital are still receiving medication and would obviously need time to fully recover before making any claims at all... Two victims are still on admission," it said.
The SIC said after the accident, Messrs Beaumont and Son, solicitors of the company's re-insurers handling the report on the liability claims, have since visited Accra two times from London to collect information for processing.
"SIC is reliably informed that Beaumont and Son have submitted a preliminary report dated July 26," it said.
The SIC said the solicitors have since October 16 made further information requests, which are being handled by the Ghana Armed Forces.
"These requests are being given the attention they deserve. Until all the requests are fully met, no claims can be paid," the statement added.
GRi…/
Vote for
competent candidates - DCE
Agona Asafo (Central Region) 21
November 2000
Mr Samuel Adu -Yeboah, NDC
candidate for Agona East, has called on the electorate to vote for competent
candidates to represent them in parliament.
He said that if the electorate
make a mistake and vote for "unqualified candidates," development
would be derailed.
Mr Adu-Yeboah, who is the District
Chief Executive, was addressing members of the NDC at Agona Asafo.
He said the government has
initiated development programmes throughout the country, which must be
completed adding that the opposition does not have an answer to the country's
economic problems since it is the result of global crisis.
The DCE urged Ghanaians to return
the NDC to power since it is the only party with "capable men to deliver
the goods".
GRi…/
NPP would remove
NDC through ballot box - Chairman
Ashaiman (Greater Accra) 21
November 2000
Mr Kofi Agyeman, Chairman of the
Ashaiman constituency of the NPP, on Sunday declared the determination of the
party to remove the NDC from power through the ballot box.
Speaking at a fund raising rally
of the party at Ashaiman, he said the greatest challenge facing the electorate
is to vote out the NDC to ensure positive change under the NPP.
"We are all set to do so with
our teeming supporters who are now impoverished because of economic
mismanagement", Mr Agyeman declared.
He introduced Mr Emmanuel K. K.
Teye, the candidate for the constituency and urged the people to vote for the
party in the presidential and parliamentary elections.
GRi…/
NMC advises media to ensure fairness in
political coverage
Accra (Greater Accra) 21 November 2000
The Chairman of the National Media Commission, Mr Nutifafa Kuenyehia on Sunday appealed to political parties, which feel their activities are not covered by the media to make a formal complaint to the Commission for redress. He also urged the media to ensure fairness in their coverage of activities of all political parties.
Mr Kuenyehia was speaking at the second stakeholders meeting to discuss the report of the Media Monitoring Project, set up by the Commission to assess coverage of activities of political parties by the state-owned media and selected private media organisations.
The United Nation Development Programme (UNDP), National Institutional Renewal Programme (NIRP), German Embassy and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung are funding the project.
The report, which covered the second part of last month, indicated that NDC had more coverage of its activities in both the print and electronic media than in the first part of the month.
While the NDC had 34.7 per cent, in terms of newspaper coverage, the NPP had 25.3 per cent, CPP 9.2 per cent and NRP 8.7 per cent.
The rest are UGM 7.8 per cent, GCPP 1.8 per cent, with the Egle and DPP receiving 1.3 per cent.
The Daily Graphic, the report said, devoted 57 out of 142 stories to the NDC while the NPP had 37, PNC 14, CPP 12 and UGM nine. Others are NRP eight, GCPP one and DPP four.
The Ghanaian Times, which also reported 102 political stories during the period, had 36 for NDC, NPP 27, PNC nine, CPP 10, NRP eight, UGM nine, and GCPP three.
The Evening News captured 104 stories, out of which the NDC had 26, NPP, 24, PNC 13, CPP 12, NRP 12, UGM nine, GCPP three, DPP two, and Egle four.
The Mirror carried nine political stories with the NDC, NPP, PNC, CPP, GCPP and Egle getting one each while UGM had two.
The Dispatch newspaper gave the NDC 12 out of 27 stories it carried during the period. The NPP had five, PNC three, CPP two, NRP three, and UGM two.
Out of 46 stories in the Chronicle, NDC had 18, the NPP 16, PNC two, CPP three, NRP three, UGM three and Egle one whilst the Public Agenda gave the NDC six, out of 17 stories, with the NPP receiving three, PNC two, CPP one, NRP four, UGM one.
On the electronic media, Radio Ghana out of 518 stories devoted 221 to the NDC as against 95 for the NPP. The NRP had 50, CPP 43, PNC 44, UGM 40, GCPP 15, DPP seven, and Egle three
On Joy FM, there were 80 political stories out of which 30 went to the NDC, NPP 14, NRP 11, CPP four, PNC 10, UGM eight and GCPP three.
On the other hand, Peace FM gave the NPP 26 stories, out of 115 it carried. The NDC had 22, NRP 20, CPP 17, PNC 11, UGM 19. There was, however, no story on the GCPP.
On television, GTV the report said, telecast 49 stories with 26 going to the NDC, NPP had six, UGM three, CPP four, PNC two and GCPP two. On its part, TV3 carried 14 stories with eight to the NDC, NPP one, NRP one, UGM two and PNC two.
Mr Kuenyehia advised the media organisations to reflect on the findings and take steps to ensure even coverage within their constraints.
GRi…/
Accra (Greater Accra) 21 November
2000
The Electoral Commission (EC) on
Monday released the revised voters' register, which shows that the names of
only 133,373 people have been removed from it.
The figures show that the voters'
roll has come down to 10,706,037 from 10,839,410 after some names were removed
from the list.
The EC this year revised the electoral
roll when it allowed those who had attained 18 years and others who had not
registered, to do so.
The EC said while some one million
names were added to the register, only 133,373 names were removed.
Given the figures released after
the population and housing census, the number of voters on the list is 58.14
per cent compared with 58.87 before the names were removed.
The following are the provisional
corrected figures of the voters' list compared with the 2000 population and
Housing census.
Region Census Voters Register Percentage
National 18,412,256
10,706,037
58.14
Western 1,842,887 1,081,967 58.71
Central 1,580,047
867,980 54.93
Greater Accra 2,909,643 1,849,982 63.58
Volta 1,612,299 983,230 60.98
Eastern 2,108,852 1,189,004 56.38
Ashanti 3,187,601 1,975,551 61.97
Brong Ahafo 1,824,822 1,044,985 57.26
Northern 1,854,994 928,689 50.06
Upper East 917,251 479,685 52.29
Upper West 573,860 304,964 53.14
GRi…/
Nsawam (Greater Accra) 21 November
2000
Five persons died on the spot and
six others were seriously injured when a passenger bus travelling from Kumasi
towards Accra collided with an articulated truck at Okanta, near Nsawam, last
Thursday.
In an interview with the GNA on
Monday, Chief Police Inspector James Domah in charge of the Nsawam Motor
Traffic Unit (MTU) said the bus had a flat tyre and collided with the oncoming
articulated truck. Mr Domah dead, were yet to be identified. The injured have
been sent to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. The Nsawam Hospital spokesman
appealed to the public to help identify the dead.
GRi…/
NPP government won't be vindictive Kufuor
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 21 November 2000
Mr John Agyekum Kufuor, NPP Presidential Candidate, on Sunday reiterated that when voted into power his government would neither be vindictive nor discriminatory.
There is therefore no cause for any individual or group to feel unsafe or threatened by a government of the NPP, Mr Kufuor told a mammoth regional rally at the Bantama Presbyterian school park in Kumasi.
He said his party does not subscribe to violence and remains fully committed to the promotion of peaceful elections.
Mr Kufuor said NPP is confident of winning the December polls and repeated his call to the Electoral Commission (EC) to ensure that polling is clean, fair and impartial.
He told the cheering crowd that the NPP is solidly united at the national, regional and constituency levels, saying, "there is total peace and harmony within the party, a sign of our readiness to wrestle political power".
He advised voters to vote for only the party's accredited candidates in the parliamentary election.
Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, the NPP Campaign Manager, said Ghanaians have seen through the tricks of the NDC and they would unseat the government on December 7.
He said to bring about positive change in the lives of the people they need not just pray in the churches and mosques, but use the "power in their thumbs to see off the NDC ".
Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey therefore called for a massive vote for Mr Kufuor and the NPP parliamentary candidates to put victory beyond doubt and to bring back hope to the nation.
GRi…/
Gamey says
strikers must follow labour rules
Accra (Greater Accra) 21 November
2000
The Deputy Minister of Employment
and Social Welfare, Mr Austin Gamey, said at the weekend that it is not right
for groups to embark on strike without going through laid down rules.
He said there are labour rules and
regulations that every association or organisation intending to go on strike
has to follow, adding that a number of strikes have not met these rules.
Mr. Gamey was speaking in Accra
during a meeting between representatives of the National Association of
Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Ghana Education Service (GES) on resolving
NAGRAT's November 23 strike call.
NAGRAT had threatened to go on
strike if its demands, including a new designation and higher point of entry on
the salary structure for graduate teachers, are not met.
NAGRAT on Friday agreed to suspend
the strike to give the appellate body set up for to look into the matter enough
time to ensure speedy and just disposal of the concerns raised by the
association and the GES.
The meeting agreed that the
on-going review meeting between the appellate body, NAGRAT and GES is a step in
the right direction.
It was further agreed that both
social partners should await recommendations by the appellate body to the
Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare towards the end of the month. The
ministry will in turn submit its recommendation to the highest authority for
approval and implementation.
GRi…/
Local election observers must be impartial
- Afari-Djan
Bunso (Eastern Region) 21 November 2000
The Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr Kwadwo Afari-Djan, has cautioned local election observers to take sides in the December 7 election.
He said that "a true observer must not only display openness, professionalism and non-partisanship in his or her work but must also not be perceived otherwise".
This was contained in a speech, read on his behalf at a workshop for election observers, organised by the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO), an NGO of civil society groups at Bunso.
Dr Afari-Gyan reminded them that observing an election is not "fault- finding but a fact-finding mission," which must be carried out impartially.
He noted that a well-trained organised local observer group has an advantage over international ones, who he claimed, "usually observe elections over a relatively short period".
The Commissioner explained that observing an election, ideally, should not be limited to the polling day but must include, whether the general environment of pre-election period promote free and fair elections.
Dr Afari-Gyan said that their activities could eliminate or reduce fraud, manipulation and violence and boost confidence and trust in the electoral system.
GRi…/
EC asked to clarify position on
thump-printed cards
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 21 November 2000
The Electoral Commission (EC) has been called upon to come out with a definitive position on whether or not voters holding thumb-printed ID cards will be allowed to vote in the December 7 polls.
Mr Ignatius Kofi Poku-Adusei, NPP parliamentary candidate for Bekwai, said this is necessary to avoid confusion at the polling centres on the day of voting.
He was addressing a political rally at Kokofu as part of the party's campaign programme to win more votes in the coming elections.
Mr Poku-Adusei cautioned the Commission not to act in any manner likely to create doubts and suspicions about the fairness and transparency of the electoral process.
He called on all activists of the NPP to be vigilant and ensure that they effectively police the polling centres to prevent cheating and rigging of the elections.
They should also intensify their political education campaign to get across to the electorate the policies and programmes that the NPP has lined up for the country.
Mr Joe Osei-Owusu, the constituency chairman, told voters not to sell their votes but vote according to their conscience.
GRi…/
GJA/EC to come out with conduct of
declaring election results
Accra Greater Accra) 21 November 2000
The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and the Electoral Commission (EC) are to come out with guidelines for the media concerning the conduct of releasing election results in the next month's elections, Mrs Gifty Affenyi-Dadzie, President of the GJA, said in Accra on Monday.
She said this is to make the media avoid the pitfalls, tension and chaos that are usually associated with dissemination and use of wrong information.
The GJA President said under the proposal the press centre would be one of the main sources of election results released by the EC.
Mrs Affenyi-Dadzie was speaking at the Speakers' Breakfast Forum, which listens to views on topical national issues and provides a serene atmosphere for discussion.
She said the outcome of the election is very important and only accurate results should be released to the public.
GRi…/
Fake ballot papers in circulation at Salaga
Tamale (Northern Region) 21 November 2000
Mr Kofi Arhin, Director in charge of Elections at the Electoral Commission (EC), has said that it is criminal for any political party or candidate to print and circulate falsified sample ballot papers.
He said though each party or candidate can print sample ballot papers for educational purposes, such samples should not leave out the details of other contestants.
Mr Arhin was reacting to allegations that the NDC had printed and circulated a sample ballot paper in the Salaga Constituency, which has excluded the name, picture and symbol of the independent candidate, Mr Boniface Abubakar Saddique.
The sample reveals that whilst the EC's notice of poll for the Salaga constituency showed all the seven candidates, that of the sample ballot paper showed six candidates, excluding Mr Saddique.
Mr Saddique, in an interview with the GNA, accused the incumbent member of parliament, Mr Hamid Baba Briamah, and the Salaga District Chief Executive, Mr Jackson Jerry Dramani, of being behind the falsified sample ballot paper.
He alleged that the Mr Braimah and Mr Dramani are telling the electorate that Mr Saddique has been given 300 million cedis by the government to withdraw hence the exclusion of his picture on the ballot paper.
Mr Saddique stated: "I have not withdrawn and I will not withdraw because I am confident of winning".
A source at the Salaga police station in a telephone conversation confirmed the story and said one Abdul-Mumuni Agolo was arrested for distributing the fake ballot papers at the premises of the Electoral Commission. The source who pleaded anonymity, declined to give details but said they were still investigating.
GRi…/
Youth urged to vote for Prof. Mills
Agona Nyakrom, (Central Region) 21 November 2000
The National President of Friends of Professor John Atta Mills, Mr Francis Nortey, has called on the country's youth to vote massively for the Vice President and flag bearer of National Democratic Congress (NDC) to ensure economic transformation.
He said among the presidential candidates, Prof. Mills is the only one that can change the fortunes of the nation for the better.
Mr Nortey made the call when he met members of the society in various towns and villages in the Agona district as part of a campaign tour of the Central region.
He said the aim of the tour was to preach the Vice President's message of peace to the people, especially the youth and the need to vote the NDC back into power on December 7.
GRi…/
Ada Songor Salt Project denies press
allegations
Accra (Greater Accra) 21 November 2000
The Ada Songor Salt Project (ASSP) on Monday denied allegations that 305 billion cedis passed through its accounts from the Salt Development Project Task Force (SDPTF).
It also said Mr Tsatsu Tsikata, Chief Executive of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), is neither a signatory of any account of the Ada Songor Salt Limited (ASSL) nor the SDPTF.
A statement signed by Mr Peter Ebo Amissah, Administrative Manager of ASSP, said it was set up by the Ministry of Mines and Energy and has no relationship with the ASSL.
It said the ASSL was registered in 1993 by the GNPC on the basis of a government decision to implement a master plan for the development of salt production in the Ada Songor Area.
It said the ASSL has, however, undertaken engineering and environmental impact assessment and plans, for the expansion of production from current levels of 60,000 tonnes to almost one million tonnes through the construction of modern infrastructure.
"This will enable export of salt from Ghana particularly for the Nigerian market," it said. The statement said ASSL has also succeeded in obtaining foreign investor interest for the construction of modern infrastructure estimated at about 25 million dollars.
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Ashaiman (Greater Accra) 21 November 2000
Mr. Franklin Aheto, NDC Member of Parliament for Ashaiman, on Sunday pleaded with the constituency's divided party to forgive his mistakes and retain him as their MP.
Mr. Aheto has a long-standing feud with Mr. Alfred Agbesi, running as an independent and threatening to defeat the sitting MP.
In 1996, Mr. Agbesi won the NDC primary to contest as MP at Ashaiman but the party hierarchy sidelined him for Mr. Aheto. This year, the NDC held no primary and imposed Mr. Aheto as the party's candidate.
Twelve of the 15-member NDC executive in the constituency are campaigning for Mr Agbesi.
"If I have offended you, please forgive me for the sake of the party," Mr Aheto said at a rally held at the Ashaiman VALCO Flats area.
"We (the NDC) believe that one person will not be there forever but the change must come at the right time."
Mr. Aheto told members of the NDC to group around the party symbol, the umbrella, cautioning that if the they make the mistake of splitting their votes, they would regret it.
He accused Mr. Agbesi of only trying to divide the NDC votes, knowing that he will not win the election.
Mr. Eddie Palmer, NDC Greater Accra Regional Vice-Chairman, said Mr. Aheto should be retained as the MP because, after two terms in office, he has the experience to face the opposition, which has maintained most of its MPs.
He said Ashaiman must progress and needs an MP who will continue the good works of the NDC.
Mr. Palmer advised members of the NDC not to fight when they are provoked: "We can't afford to lose any member of our party, if you die you are of no use to the party."
Mr. Said Sinare, former NDC MP for Central Ayawaso, who joined in the crusade to redeem the sinking popularity of Mr. Aheto, warned voters that if they allow the opposition to take the Ashaiman seat, they will run away from Ghana.
He was referring to the Aliens Compliance Order of 1969 under which tens of thousand of foreigners were deported from Ghana during the rule of the Progress Party, the forerunner of the New Patriotic Party seeking to replace the NDC government.
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