GRi Press Review 21 - 11 - 2000
Top Scot diplomat blows whistle again
The Statesman / the Ghanaian Times
Voter ID cards vital / No photo ID no voting
NPP targets 90% votes in Ashanti
Arrest Inusah for fraud / Allegations are incredible
NDC has failed us - Volta chiefs
Rawlings insults everybody / Rawlings insults everyone
Ghanair palaver
Top Scot diplomat blows whistle again
Deputy British high Commissioner, Mr Craig J. Murray on Monday cracked
a whip at the National Democratic Congress (NDC) over its call on the use of
the thumbprint ID cards alongside the photo ID cards, reports The Chronicle.
Murray, speaking at the 14th Speaker's forum, not only
expressed the disagreement of his government and that of the donor community
over the ruling party's position but also questioned the wisdom in canvassing
donor support for the exercise, and turning around later to reject it.
"If the photo ID is not necessary, why did you ask we, the donors
to pay more money for it?" Craig asked.
Murray's intervention, according to Chronicle, was provoked by a
statement made by the General Secretary of the NDC, Alhaji Huudu Yahaya, who
had earlier argued about the appropriateness in the use of the photo ID cards
insisting that others might be disenfranchised, if they insist on them.
The NDC scribe had submitted that, "you can not put convenience
over the constitution", however Murray shot back, saying the use of the
thumbprint ID cards would defeat the purpose of the introduction of the photo
ID cards which was meant to check electoral fraud.
GRi…/
The Statesman / The Ghanaian Times
Voter ID cards vital / No photo ID no voting
The Statesman and The Ghanaian Times carry banner stories that say only
those with voter ID cards will be eligible to vote on December 7.
The Statesman in its story says the Chairman of the Electoral
Commission (EC), Dr Afari-Gyan, told a GTV interviewer on Monday that the
Commission has spent time and money to assemble an 800-man hit-tech camera team
for the photo ID card exercise and any person without it can't vote. The
electoral body says it has also acquired world-class indelible ink from India
for the polls.
The ruling, according to the paper, settles once and for all the debate
in political circles about whether thumb-printed voter ID card holders could
vote.
President Jerry John Rawlings reportedly stated during an NDC Upper
West Regional rally at Tamale that any registered voter, with or without a
voter ID card, should be allowed to vote.
The Times in its story said however that although voting would
officially be by photo ID cards, any person who fails to produce one will be
allowed to vote if he or she is able to prove his or her identity.
Dr Afari-Gyan, speaking at the 14th Speaker's Breakfast
Meeting in Accra on Monday, said the proof of the identity should be done to
the complete satisfaction of the presiding officer and party agents at the
polling station.
More…/
NPP targets 90% votes in Ashanti
The Ghanaian Times stated in another front-page capture that the
presidential candidate of the NPP, Mr John Agyekum Kufuor, has said that his
party needed 90 per cent of votes in the Ashanti Region and has therefore
appealed to party supporters not to allow detractors to divide their ranks and
thereby lose votes to opponents.
He cautioned that any divisive tendencies in the rank and file in the
region would cost the party a lot and erode the long struggle for the positive
change Ghanaians were yearning for.
GRi…/
Arrest Inusah for fraud / Allegations are incredible
The Daily Graphic devoted its front-page to reactions to Alhaji Inusah,
defected New Patriotic Party former national campaign manager’s claims that he
helped the NPP rigged the Central Ablekuma be-elections last year.
The paper in a lead story says the NPP has called for the arrest of
Alhaji Inusah, for electoral fraud. It said since Alhaji Inusah himself has
confessed to being "in the centre" of the fraud, which is a serious
offence, he must be arrested and prosecuted.
Mr Kwadwo Afari, Public Relations officer of the party, who made the
call in an interview in Accra on Monday, said the confession by Inusah, who has
shifted camp to the NDC, incriminates the Electoral Commission (EC) and,
therefore, casts a slur on its integrity as an independent body.
He contended however, that since it is the NDC Government, which
controls the state apparatus it will be an understatement for anybody to say
that an opposition party has rigged an election.
In another story, the EC, described the alleged rigging, claimed to be
with its conivance through its officer, as incredible and appealed to the police
to take up the matter.
On the other side of the divide, the deputy minister of interior, Mr
Kwaku Bonful, has however expressed disappointment at the EC's reaction saying
the issue need not be trivialised and dismissed outright but rather looked into
in the interest of transparency to make the forthcoming elections truly free
and fair.
Inusah however says he still stands by his statement that his former
party rigged the elections.
GRi…/
NDC has failed us - Volta chiefs
The Evening News reports chiefs in the Volta Region as stating that the
NDC would not have it easy winning the Volta Region in the forthcoming
election.
Togbe Kwao Anipati IV, Paramount Chief of the Mepe Traditional Area
said: "This election is not going to be very easy for you", he told
Mr Kwasi Aboagye, Deputy Volta Regional Minister at a meeting of the Volta
Regional House of Chiefs at Ho on Wednesday.
Torgbe Anipati said the government has failed to fulfil its promise to
the House before the 1996 elections that it would focus on the development of
the region if its mandate was renewed and cited the road sector as an important
area, which did not see any meaningful development.
Mr Aboagye however disagreed with Togbe Anipati and said the region has
more to show in terms of development especially in education, health,
electrification, telecommunication and the provision of water.
He blamed the contractor working on a road linking a number of towns in
the region for poor performance and indicated that but for his conduct it would
have reached an advanced stage by now.
In a related story, the NDC presidential running mate, Mr Martin Amidu
has assured the Chiefs of Ho Asogli Traditional Area that the exit of President
Rawlings from office would not disrupt the party's developmental programmes in
the Volta Region.
"We will continue our projects in the region, and this time,
without the opposition getting the chance of accusing the President of showing
favour to his hometown," he said.
GRi…/
Rawlings insults everybody / Rawlings insults everyone
Both the Independent and The Guide have covered the NDC regional rally
at Cape Coast on Saturday and say President Jerry John Rawlings, despite recent
appeal to politicians against using inflammatory and provocative language, went
bashing a number of opposition figures, corporate institutions and
persons.
The recipients of the 'bash' included the National Media Commission
(NMC), the Berekum FM, the Opposition, the Judiciary, Kofi Wayo and Capt.
Nkrabeah Effah Dartey, a driver 'who did that foolish thing', Foday Sankoh and
Kufuor.
Among other issues, President Rawlings, described the NMC as the most
disappointing and most disgraceful institution since Ghana went into democracy
for its silence over the incidents at the Berekum CHRIS FM station. He had
described the private radio station as a 'foolish station that allowed itself
to be misused' in granting Capt. Effah Dartey airtime to say 'nonsense' on its
waves.
The President is reported as saying that he has regretted removing his
dictatorial garb eight years ago to take on civilian clothing.
"Because of constitutional rule, people murder and get away. I
will get down after my term and with your help change the constitution and
bring some sense and sanity into the heads of such people," President
Rawlings yelled at the rally amidst other several outpourings.
GRi…/
Ghanair palaver
The Guide writes that Ghana Airways (Ghanair), the nation's premier
carrier, has reacted sharply to its November 9-15, 2000 publication headlined,
"Ghanair denies allegations…and says aircraft breakdown has been on
decline".
Ghanair asserted that it was taken aback by the story in that the
information published "was woefully inaccurate and could bring the company
into disrepute which could lead to consequence adverse financial implications
and patronage of the Airline".
The Airline also denies the paper's allegation of it battling with $90
million indebtedness.
"The Airline's total indebtedness is not $90 million. The total
figure which will not be disclosed, is well below $90 million", it
said.
Mr B.A. Donkor, Head of Legal Services, reiterated Ghanair's position
on the statement that fuel companies like SHELL had refused to supply the
airline with fuel, except on cash basis, at most stations, was false and said
it was also not owing $5 million in the USA as carried in the story.
It however conceded the fact that it was constrained in its cash-flow
but asserted that such a situation is not unique to the Airline in the present
operating environment.
GRi…/