Political parties allowed to compile own results, EC
Electorate urged
to avoid triviality
350 retired policemen demand benefits
Accra (Greater Accra) 20 Oct 2000
Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, chairman of
the Electoral Commission (EC), Thursday said political parties are allowed to
compile their own election results, according to the election laws.
"If the various political
parties have not been doing this, then it is their lack of responsibility and
inefficiency," he said.
In an interview with the Ghana
News Agency in Accra, Dr Afari-Gyan said although the parties can compile their
own results, "no party has the mandate to declare the results."
He said the commission provides
all party agents at polling centres with copies of the Declaration of Results
form. The parties are supposed to use these forms in tallying their own
results.
Dr Afari-Gyan said parties must
study the constitutional provision on elections and the public election
regulations before making certain statements, "as if they are proposing
something new."
Explaining the procedure, Dr
Afari-Gyan said immediately after the close of the polls, the presiding officer
shall, in the presence of the candidates or their representative and the
counting agents, open all ballot boxes. The presiding officer will record the
total number of votes cast in favour of each candidate.
The party agents and presiding
officers sign the form. The presiding officer also indicates the date and time
the counting ended and gives a copy to the agents. He then announces the
results to the public.
"As soon as practicable after
the announcement of results, the presiding officer shall in the presence of counting
agents make up into packets the contents of each ballot box in use at the
station," Dr Afari-Gyan said. "The unused and spoilt ballot papers
placed together, tendered ballot papers and the marked copies of the register
and counterfoils of the used ballot are sealed and taken to the returning
officer at the constituency centre."
He said, "the packets shall
be accompanied by a statement made by the presiding officer showing the number
of ballot papers entrusted to him and account for used, unused, spoilt and
tendered ballot papers."
Results of all polling centres
within a constituency are collated at the constituency centres where the
contesting candidates are represented by counting agents.
He said each counting agent at the
constituency centre is given a copy of the collated results. The returning
officer announces the winners of the presidential and parliamentary in the
constituency.
He said the parties should base
their compilations on the results declared on the EC's Declaration form to
avoid creating confusion.
The presidential results from each
constituency are communicated to the EC Headquarters where they are collated in
the presence of party executives. The commission announces the results as they
are received from the constituencies.
Dr Afari-Gyan said all these
measures are designed to ensure free, fair and transparent elections.
Experience in 1996, however, shows
that some party agents refused to sign the Declaration of Results forms when
they realised their candidates had lost. He said should that happen again the
commission will go ahead and announce the results.
He, therefore, reiterated the call
on political parties to engage responsible agents. "The commission is
committed to conduct free, fair and transparent elections," Dr Afari-Gyan
said. "The political parties, media, governmental and non-governmental
organisations who have a contribution to make must also ensure that they play
their roles effectively."
The New Patriotic Party (NPP)
recently announced its intention to compile its own election results at every
polling station to crosscheck the official results declared by the EC.
"We have been cheated twice
in 1992 and 1996 by the NDC through rigging because we put our trust in the EC
to conduct free and fair elections," Mr. Samuel A. Odoi-Sykes, NPP
National Chairman, said in Accra.
He said the opposition political
parties in Senegal and Yugoslavia compiled their own election results,
"thereby preventing the EC and the Supreme Court from stealing their
victory."
GRi../
Electorate urged
to avoid triviality
Accra (Greater Accra) 20 October
2000
Rev. Dr. Mensah Anumua Otabil,
General Overseer of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), Thursday
said the problems facing Ghana call for a president who is constructive, has a
strong sense of mission for radical change and is able to infect the people
with his vision.
"We do not need a petty and
narrow minded president who will only concentrate on solving the petty problems
of the nation, but lack the ability and courage to address the bigger
problems," he said.
He therefore called on the
electorate to avoid such trivial considerations as tribe, religion, complexion,
party symbols, slogans and songs in deciding who they vote for in the December
7 elections.
Dr. Otabil made the call in the
final of a series of lectures to mark the 8th William Ofori-Atta memorial
lectures, organised by the National Association of Evangelicals of Ghana
(NAEG).
He said the fundamental
socio-economic challenges facing this country call for the harnessing and
deployment of all resources, human and material, in the spirit of national
unity that goes beyond partisan considerations.
"We need a president who can
think and make us want to commit our lives to our nation," he said.
"We need an extraordinary leader."
He said as we go to the polls on
December 7, we are going to decide what we want the future of this nation to be
within the next four years, adding that the kind of leader we vote for will
determine that future.
Dr. Otabil noted that public debates
during the run-up to elections in this country are so shallow, they do not
focus on issues and the character of those who offer themselves to be voted
into power.
He said politicians have realised
the ignorance and tribalistic undertones in the considerations of the
electorate and are using them to manipulate the voters to their advantage.
"What politicians say and do
on their campaign platforms is a reflection of our ignorance and parochial
sentiments."
Dr. Otabil said no matter how we
debate it, we need change in this country. "We need a new
government," he said.
"By new government, I am not
suggesting that we vote the present ruling party out, but we need a new system
of governance which I believe can come about when there is a change in the
mind-set of the people."
"We need a new leader, a new
understanding and new people to propel this country into a prosperous
future."
He pointed out that the word new
is neither a bad word nor a political opposition word, but a connotation of a
shift from bad to good.
"I dare say that if we do not
take the necessary steps to bring about the needed change, this country would
witness retrogression between now and the year 2020," he said.
Dr. Otabil said the challenge
before this country is one for change, adding that, the choice of leader the
electorate makes in the December 7 election will go a long way to determine our
conditions and living standards.
Mr. Emile Short, Commissioner for
Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) said the lecture has come at an
opportune time when citizens of this nation are about to vote for a new
leadership.
He urged the electorate to reflect
on the future they want for this country and vote wisely.
Mr. Short called on Ghanaians to
pray for and support men of courage in the like of Dr. Otabil who speak the
uncompromising truth without fear.
Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin,
Omanhene of Akyem Abuakwa traditional area praised the late William Ofori-Atta
for his honesty and integrity and urged Ghanaians to "vote for people like
Paa Willie."
A tape of Paa Willie's message to
Ghanaians in the run-up to the 1979 elections played at the end of the lecture
also urged Ghanaians to vote for morally upright and committed people.
GRi…/
350 retired policemen demand benefits
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 20 Oct. 2000
Three hundred and fifty police personnel who were compulsorily retired from the Ghana Police Service between 1993-94 have appealed to Vice-President John Atta Mills to intervene and ensure the payment of their entitlements.
Chief Inspector Michael K. Tetteh, spokesman for the retired police personnel, on Thursday made the appeal on behalf of his colleagues through the Ghana News Agency in Kumasi. He said they were retired at the age of 55 instead of 60 years as stipulated in the 1992 constitution.
Mr Tetteh said the Inspector General of Police (IGP) sent a circular to them to attend the Police Hospital for examination and reinstatement which they did in 1998 and were declared fit but they did not hear from the Service again and therefore filed a suit at the Supreme Court.
The court ruled in 1994 that the retiring age of career officers in the Police Service is the same (60 years) for other public officers and that the service had breached Article 119 (1) of the constitution by retiring them at 55 years.
Mr Tetteh said the Supreme Court ordered their reinstatement but the police administration did not comply with the order, adding that the IGP rather instructed that the affected police personnel should be paid five years' salary.
He said though payment vouchers were prepared to that effect in 1999 and forwarded to the Ministry of Finance through the Ministry of the Interior for payment of their entitlements, nothing had been heard so far.
The retired police personnel are therefore appealing to the Vice-President as the Chairman of the Police Council to assist them to get their benefits.
GRi../