Ghana Votes

Friday, May 11, 2012

Ghana Elections 2012 Daily News Review - 11th May, 2012

One story making the headlines in most of the news papers is the Daily Guide's report about the wife of the party's founder, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, laying claims to the ownership of the single most powerful emblem, the red, green, white and black umbrella with the head of an eagle atop it, which represents the party. The paper reports this with the headline give me my umbrella. The Chronicle adds to this report, saying that in a letter to the National Chairman of the NDC, Dr Kwabena Adjei, on behalf of Nana Konadu by the solicitors of the former First Lady stated:"As you may be aware, our client holds the copyright to the political party logo being used by the NDC party as its registered political party symbol and known as the 'Akatamanso' (umbrella). The Weekend Crusading Guide in reporting this adopts the headline Nana Konadu claims Patent Right of Party's Logo, adding that the ruling  National Democratic  Congress (NDC) will have  to gird its loins to contest the wife  of  the party's founder, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings  in court or stop the usage of the party's  logo, for  the former first lady  has served notice that unless steps  are taken  to stop  what she  describes as '' an  infringement  on the usage of the log,'' Mrs. Rawlings  ' will feel  compelled to with draw her permission for the use of logo by the  party.

News from the Ghanaian Times indicates that the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dr. Benjamin Kunbuor, has said  the adoption of the biometric voters register for the  forthcoming December general elections is a clear indication of government's  commitment to ensure a peaceful, free, fair and credible elections. Dr. Kumbuor said President Mills' was committed to accountability, good governance and the rule of law and convinced that these principles, guaranteed peace, stability, social cohesion and socio economic development. The paper states this in the headline Biometric register, proof of govt's commitment to free polls.

Still in the same paper, we are informed that the Biometric registration was successful in Krachi West – Perry Ofosu. An aspiring  NDC parliamentary candidate  for the Krachi West  Constituency , Mr. Perry  Ofosu  has observed that  the Biometric  Registration exercise in the constituency was  to a large extent , successful. He gave credit to the chiefs and people of the area for conducting themselves in a mature manner and ensuring the exercise took place in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility.

More news on the biometric exercise as EC plans continuous registration of voters. The Electoral Commission(EC) would  undertake  continuous voter's  registration exercise  at the District Electoral Offices  of the Commission next year, for  those  who would  turn  18  years and others who  could  not register during  this year's  biometric  voter registration exercise. The Ghanaian Times reports and adds that the Kwahu West Municipal Electoral Officer, Mr. Eugene Boateng, disclosed this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Nkawkaw on Wednesday.

Now on political party news, the Daily Graphic quotes in the headline who is who? As CPP elects flag   bearer tomorrow. The person to lead the Convention People's Party in the 2012 elections will be decided tomorrow when the party goes to congress at the Essipong sports Stadium in Sekondi in the Western Region. The key  focus of the congress is the  election of the party's  flag  bearer, a position  being  contested by the 2008 vice presidential candidate of the party, Dr. Abu  Sakara Foster, an economist , and an Accra- based lawyer and former presidential aspirant , Mr. Emmanuel  Bright Akwetey.

A report from the same paper indicates that CPP congress illegal –Murtala Mohammed. The Interdicted National Youth Organizer of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP), Murtala Mohammed, has described the party's national congress slated for May 12, 2012 as illegal. 'I wish  to bring  to your notice  that  the upcoming CPP  congress is bogus , fraudulent and unconstitutional  due to  the violation of the following  constitutional provision:Article22, Article70 Clauses(2)(3)(5)(6)(7). Article 78 Clause (3), Article95(C), Article102 (i-v), Article103 Clause (4) in the party's constitution.''

The New Statesman informs readers of Nana-Bawumia storm E/R with hope tour saying that the 2012 Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Akufo-Addo, and his running mate, Mahamudu Bawumia, will tomorrow resume their 'tour to restore hope' in the Eastern Region. The hope tour will take the NPP leader and running mate to the Abuakwa North, Abuakwa South, New Juabeng South, Kade and New Juabeng North constituencies.

Politicians/media urged to promote peace is how the New Statesman reports that a call has been made to politicians and peace-loving Ghanaians, especially the media, to strive to nurture, grow and develop peace and unity to help build a strong nation for the generations yet unborn. The call was made by Nathaniel Ebo Nsarko, CEO of Pro-Image Communications when he outdoored trophy for the much publicized political tolerance soccer gala which is slated for the Accra sports Stadium on Sunday, May 12.

News from the New Statesman indicates that, the New Patriotic Party has charged the acting Director of the Ghana Statistical Service to stay away from dabbling in partisan politics and concentrate on providing reliable statistics to guide the nation's development planning. According to the party, in her response to the lecture on the state of the economy delivered by the party's vice presidential candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the action of the GSS "completely misrepresented what was actually stated by Dr. Bawumia in an apparent attempt to please her political masters".

The Metropolitan Catholic Arch bishop of Tamale, the Most Rev. Philip Naameh has advised politicians, especially those in Northern Ghana, to eschew tribal and ethnic politics. He warned that negative tribal politics currently showing its ugly head on the political landscape, has the tendency of plaguing the nation into chaos. The Ghanaian Times tells us this with the headline Rev. Naameh advises politicians to eschew tribal politics.

A  Good citizen is the one who is interested in the process which promote the development, democracy and peace of the nation, the Akuapim Presbytery Chairman of the Presbyterian church of Ghana, Rev. Dr. Samuel Ayete Nyampong, has said. Speaking at the opening of the 2012 Akuapim Presbytery Conference at Akropong, Rev. Dr.  Ayete Nyampong called on all traditional rulers and the government to partner the church for the nation's development and peace building. This is what the Ghanaian Times states using the headline Safeguard the peace of the nation.

In other developments, the Daily Graphic reveals that the Akuapem  Presbyters of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG)has  called on political parties  and the  media  to be circumspect in their  undertakings  as the  country goes  to the polls in December. It also called on the Electoral Commission (EC) to create a level playing field for all contesting political parties to ensure free and fair elections.

Meanwhile, in relation to the hate speech, revised guidelines for political broadcasting and advertising being developed by the National Media Commission (NMC) will feature provisions to address hate speech in the run-up to the 2012 general election. The guidelines, which will be issued by the  end of June this year, are expected to be discussed at seminars for journalists, civil society groups , political parties and professional bodies to ensure responsible media as the electioneering for  the general  election gathers momentum. The Daily Graphic reports this with the headline revised guidelines on political broadcasting to address hate speech

We end today's review with news from New weekend Crusading Guide that says President  Mills  dedicated to Credible Elections .Dr. Benjamin Kumbour  , Attorney  General  and Minister of Justice, on  Wednesday said President John  Evans  Atta Mills was dedicated to ensuring  peaceful, free , fair  and credible election in December 2012.He said Ghana's commitment to democratic accountability, good governance and the  conviction that these principles guarantee peace, stability and  social  cohesion that consequently unleashed the potential of our peoples for socio-economic transformation and development.

This daily news review is compiled by African Elections Project (AEP) Media Monitoring Centre, Accra, Ghana.

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