NPP's lies exposed …OAU does not have Electoral System
Protests greet Gen Guei's victory
SNNIT reacts to allegation
Amidu, Akufo Addo clash…in court
Gov't spends ¢385m on 4 people
Mills in tug of war with Rawlings
Inflation rises to 26.6% in August
Quashigah dares Rawlings
NDC backs Gbeho against Sowu in Anlo
GBA calls for effective monitoring of results
NPP's lies exposed …OAU does not have Electoral System
The Ghana Palaver in its banner story says with the defeat starring it in the face and the December 7 General Elections less than six weeks away, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has orchestrated a series of ready made excuses for its inevitable defeat at the polls.
According to the paper the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Monday exposed the NPP when it made it emphatically clear that the so-called "OAU Method of Voting" proposed by the NPP for the forth-coming elections is the mother of all the lies told by the NPP since it started its discredited never-ending series of Press Conferences.
Mr. Kwaku Baah, Vice-Chairman of the NDC is reported by the paper as saying that after the NPP came out with the ill-intended proposal, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs took the pains to check with its mission in Addis Ababa, whether the voting method used in Nigeria elections last year was an OAU voting system or an OAU-endorsed method of voting.
He said Mr. Sam Ibok, Director of Political Affairs Department of the OAU revealed that, "the OAU has not developed any method of voting in General Elections".
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Protests greet Gen Guei's victory
The Daily Graphic reports that Cote D'Ivoire' Ministry of Interior yesterday dissolved the country's National Electoral Commission (CNE), arrested its chairman and pronounced the sitting Head of State, General Robert Guei, winner of the controversial presidential election.
The sudden turn of events swiftly plunged the country into chaos as dissatisfied supporters of the main opposition leader Laurant Gbagbo massed up in a street protests and headed for the presidential palace, denouncing General Guei's electoral victory.
This protests the paper says was more pronounced in the capital, according to reports monitored in Accra.
The result at the time CNE was stopped, revealed that Gbagbo was ahead of Guei at 52.7 and 41.2 per cent by Guei, this was according to results announced by an official of the Ministry of Interior, Daniel Baba Sheikh.
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SNNIT reacts to allegation
The Ghanaian Times reports the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) as saying yesterday that while some of its investments had not done so well, others had recorded success stories.
Breaking their long silence over various media allegations leveled against it at a news conference in Accra, Mr. Charles Asare, the Director General described SSNIT as "financially sound and solid". He said its performance was on truck.
According to the paper in reaction to a question asked by a Joy FM representative at the press conference, Mr. Asare gave a background to SSNIT’s investments over the years. He said the Trust's investments in 1999 exceeded the targeted real yield by 50%. He mentioned specifically investments in SSB Bank, Merchant Bank, Ghana Oil development Corporation (GOPDC), Labadi Beach Hotel, Golden Beach Hotel and equities in listed companies on the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSC).
Mr. Asare the paper reports also mentioned Bridal trust, WAHOME among others who were not doing so well in SSNIT investments.
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Amidu, Akufo Addo clash…in court
Martin Amidu Deputy Attorney-General, on Tuesday raised a preliminary objection, challenging the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court to enforce a constitutional provision which disallows civil servants from contesting political positions whiles still at post, reports the Ghanaian Chronicle.
This followed a writ filed by the New Patriotic Party (NPP), seeking the Supreme Court to enforce the constitutional provision, which stipulates the ineligibility of Civil Servants to involve in an open active politics unless they resign or retire from the service.
The paper said the NPP has dragged Mr. Oteng Adjei of the Ministry of Mines and Energy, standing in the Bosomtwe Kwamona constituency and Mr. Kofi Opoku Manu, of the Ministry of Finance standing on the NDC ticket in the Asante Akyem North constituency and Mr. Martin Amidu, just to name a few, to court.
Both Martin Amidu and Akufo Addo counsel for NPP have asked the court to strike the name of Kofi Manu out because he has since resigned from the Ministry.
The court presided over by Justice Bamford-Addo was told by Amidu that enforcement can only be done after an election has been conducted and since this had not been done the court has no jurisdiction.
Responding Nana Akufo Addo said, the application for preliminary objection by Amidu is misconceived and absolutely without merits. Nana Akufo Addo submitted that the NPP’s action does not seek the Supreme Court to interpret the constitution but rather enforce it.
The case has been adjourned to November 15, this year for ruling on the preliminary objection.
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Gov't spends ¢385m on 4 people
The Evening News banner headline reveals that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) yesterday asked Professor Atta Mills to make good his intentions to cut out unnecessary imports that dissipate the nation's resources instead of waiting to become President before doing so.
The paper says; "It is no use blaming Ghanaians, the private sector and especially members of GUTA alone for the shortage of foreign exchange. The NDC government is also part of the problem and should be part of the solution".
At a news conference in Accra, the Parliamentary Caucus of the party accused Prof. Mills of throwing dust in the eyes of Ghanaians when he stated at his press conference that he would cut out the unnecessary imports and address control of government expenditure.
On behalf of the caucus, NPP’s Mr. Kwamena Bartels, MP for Ablekuma North said the Vice-President Atta Mills has overseen the slide of the cedi from ¢1,780.00 to the US dollar to the present level of ¢7.200.00 to US $1.00, and misuse of public resourses.
He said among other things that within July 2000, the Office of The Chief of Staff at the Presidency alone spent ¢17,396,332,000.00 to import 146 vehicles. This does not include importations for the Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
Mr. Bartels said all one needs is an NDC card to qualify one for a medical treatment abroad and called on the NDC to justify the expenditure of 5,000 pounds on Kofi Ashiboe-Mensah' medical treatment in the UK, 3,153.75 pounds on Mr. Ferdinard Asante Adjei for his medical review in the UK, among others.
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Mills in tug of war with Rawlings
The Insight reports on it front page that Vice President Atta Mils appears to be heading for a major confrontation with his boss over what will happen in the post Rawlings era.
It says although professor Mills has persistently declared that he will remain loyal to the Rawlings family and protect their interests, there are signs that electoral expediency is forcing him to abandon that stand.
Some of the key questions to the Vice President, the paper says include, what he will do when some the key players in the Rawlings regime are found to have illegal amassed wealth; the issue of corruption and the killing of the three judges and the retired army officer.
The paper states that Professor Mills has stated categorically that no member of the present government can escape public scrutiny and possible prosecution for corruption. He has promised to investigate and prosecute such matters according to the law.
The problem with this promise is that he is with the current government, which is riddled with corruption where he can do something serious about it.
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Inflation rises to 26.6% in August
According to statistics released recently by the Statistical Service, year-on-year inflation shot to 26.6% in August, from 22.1% in July, reports the High Street Journal.
The non-food component of the basket of goods and services, which makes up roughly half of the consumer price index, was primarily responsible for all price increases.
The food component the paper says rose too, but prices were relatively stable, increasing by 10.9% in August. Even this was a significant increase on the 7.7% increase by the food component in July.
On the Month -Month basis, the food component of the CPI basket rose by 1.5% in August while the non-food component rose by 4.5%. Analysts say the 12.5% end of year inflation rate targeted by the government in the 2000 budget cannot be achieved.
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Quashigah dares Rawlings
The Guide says the NPP campaign manager, Major Courage Quashigah, has dared President Jerry Rawlings to use the six weeks left at his disposal to punish his corrupt men or have himself to blame.
Major Quashigah could not understand why President Rawlings, who supervised, the death of certain people in 1979 over minor crimes, should look on this time while, billions of cedis get blown away by his men.
He wondered how there would be peace without justice being observed.
The NPP campaign manager made these observations at the launching of the 2000 campaign for the MP for Takoradi, Hon. Gladys Asmah at Takoradi last Saturday October 21, 2000.
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NDC backs Gbeho against Sowu in Anlo
The Anlo Constituency in the Volta Region can be described as one of the safest seats of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC). This is the constituency where some highly-placed party officials have decided to stab their official Parliamentary candidate, 66-year-old Sqd. Ldr.Clend Mawuko Kwasi Sowu (rtd) in the back.
They have been actively urging their organizers and opinion leaders to vote for one NDC 'rebel', Foreign Minister James Victor Gbeho, 65, contesting as an independent candidate. The two other 'rebels' independent candidates are Mrs. Esther Ilan Agbodo-Nyamalor, 47 and 50-year-old Mr. Goyimwele Enukomeko Kpodo.
The Dispatch says, a highly placed NDC source said the party decided to give the retired army officer the official nod to aviod "any embarrassment to the party."
He further explained that Sqd Ldr. Sowu had good legal basis for challenging the party's decision to hold primaries in the constituency.
With a far-away look in his eyes, he added, "we were kind of scared as to the political time bombs he could unleash to deepen the divisions within the party. He wanted to be called the NDC's parliamentary candidate. He's got it. But what if the people do not vote for him, can he blame the party?", the source is quoted as asking.
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GBA calls for effective monitoring of results
The Free Press reports that the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has called on the Electoral Commission to allow representatives of the various political parties in the country to stay in the control room of the commission in Accra to monitor the results from all the 200 constituencies on voting day.
This would ensure transparency in the declaration of results of the December elections and also promote confidence in the electoral process among the political parties.
In its annual general conference resolutions, the GBA called on the commission to conduct the forthcoming elections in such a manner that would not only be independent and impartial in its functions, but also be seen by all the political parties and the general public to be independent of the control of any person or authority
It again reminded the commission of its constitutional mandate to ensure that there is indeed a level playing field for all the contestants in the forthcoming elections so that no one takes undue advantage of the incumbency to promote their electoral fortunes.
The paper says the GBA called on the government in particular to stop the illegitimate use of the national assets and resources including government vehicles, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), the office District Chief Executives and the commissioning of public projects by the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
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