Ghana Elections Daily News Review - 10th April, 2012

Top stories from the newspapers for 10^th April are as follows:

1.       Biometric registration exercise updates; security, statistics

2.       Ghanaians to ensure peaceful elections

The Daily Graphic brings to our notice that Police tightens security at registration centres. The Police Administration has directed all regional Police Commanders to beef up security at the biometric voters registration centres under their jurisdiction to ensure peaceful registration. It said security in the areas identified as flashpoints in the ongoing biometric registration exercise needed to be strengthened to ensure a successful outcome of the 40 days exercise. On page 16, the paper reveals that The New Patriotic Party 's parliamentary  candidate  for the Tain Constituency  in the Brong  Ahafo Region   is in the grip  of the police  for his alleged  involvement  in violence  at the Sabieh registration centre. With the headline NPP candidate for Tain , 5 others  arrested, the paper adds that Mr. Ofori  Amanfo  and  five  other party  activists  who  were picked  up on Saturday  have  not  been  formally  charged.

In a related development, the Daily Graphic indicates that the Electoral Commission (EC) has ordered the arrest of two registration officials in the Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem District for allegedly aiding minors to register. The officials have been identified as Mr. Isaam Mbeah, a registration officer responsible for special duty, and Mr. Richard Ackon, an assistant registration officer. The paper captures this on its page 19 story entitled EC orders arrest of registration officials. More on the voter registration exercise as EC has been urged to prosecute people in double voting. Participants of a workshop on the biometric registration exercise at Winneba have suggested to the Electoral Commission to prosecute people involved in multiple registration and to delete their names from the register. The Ghanaian Times adds that this will serve as a deterrent to others and help ensure a credible voter register.

The Daily Graphic on its front page reveals that Sixteen days into the 40-days biometric voters registration exercise, the Electoral Commission (EC) has registered a provisional figure of 6.5million voters. With the headline Biometric registration: 6.5 million register, the paper states that according  to a source  at the EC, the Number  of  applicants  registered  so far  was 35 percent ahead  of target , since  the EC  had  only  expected to register about 4.8 million  voters  during  the period. The Daily Dispatch in a related report states that first Phase of Biometric Registration; Ashanti registers over 945,000 voters. Figures coming out from the first phase of the ongoing biometric voters' registration indicate a very encouraging turnout. Ashanti Region is said to have registered more than 945,000 voters. Central region is said to have also registered nearly 422,000 voters.

The Crusading Guide has reported that Chiefs of Akuse declare war against EC. The  Chiefs  and people  of  Akuse  have warned  that  they  would  be forced to disrupt  the 2012  general  elections  if they  are not  registered by  the  electoral commission in the ongoing  registration exercise. Speaking in an exclusive  interview  with this reporter, Mr. George  Amanor, Spokesperson  for the Chief  of Akuse  warned  the Electoral Commission  to desist  from  kowtowing  to orders  of politicians  in the ongoing  registration  exercise  and ignore  the private inter –meddling  effort  of the Lower Manya  District  Assembly  Chief  Executive  to undermine  the rule of law.

News from the Daily Guide indicates that there have been disruptions in the biometric registration exercise as students are being thwarted from voting. Nzema students who are natives of Ellembelle   in the Western Region were almost beaten to pulp by suspected NDC thugs resident in the area on Good Friday. Also on page 10, it further reports that some Residents  at Kenyasi  number  one on Thursday prevented  final year  students  of  OLA Girls Senior High  School at Kenyasi  in Asutifi District  of  Brong  Ahafo  from  registering  in the  on-going  biometric voters  registration  exercise.

Following several misconducts during the ongoing biometric exercise, President John Evans Atta Mills has charged Ghanaians not to leave anything to chance in ensuring peaceful elections, come December. He said'' the nation's peace in non negotiable'' and urged Ghanaians to help guard jealously the peace and stability the country was enjoying. The Ghanaian Times reports this in the headline Prez charges Ghanaians to ensure peaceful elections. This is how we end the day's review of the newspapers.

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

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Ghana Elections 2012 News Review - 5th April, 2012

Below are the top stories from the Dailies:

1.       Biometric voters' registration exercise updates

2.       GCPP on economic change

From the Daily Graphic, we are told that Four Million Register, Over 600 Cases of Multiple Registration. Four million one hundred thousand eligible voters registered during the first phase of the ongoing biometric voters registration exercise, the Electoral Commission has said. According to the EC, more than 600 instances of multiple registrations have so far been detected. The paper also reports about the EC's intention to introduce continuous voter registration. The Electoral Commission  is to introduce a continuous  voter  registration system  at  all its offices  for  people  who qualify to vote  in elections, including those  who  attain  the stipulated voting age  of  eighteen years. It goes on to say that the continuous  registration will  thus  bring  to  an end  the usually  long wait   by newly  qualified  voters for  the  EC's  periodic registration.

Loss of Biometric Laptop Will Not Affect 2012 Elections-EC. The Central  Regional Director of the Electoral Commission (EC) ,Mrs. Philomena Edusei, has stated that  the recent  loss of biometric laptop at Agona Swedru  in the Central Region  will not  affect  the  upcoming  2012 elections. In an exclusive  interview  with Daily Dispatch, Mrs. Edusei hinted that  the  laptop being  used by the EC in  the ongoing  biometric  registration is  specially  designed purposely for the EC and  the registration exercise  such that no individual can use it in any other business.

Reporting on hitches of the biometric exercise, The Chronicle states that Ashanti tops disruption league. It is official the  Ashanti  Region  bears  the biggest  brunt  of  disruptions  to the registration  exercise  raising  fears that the  recommendation of a group  of  academics  who authored a document  on how  the  National  Democratic  Congress (NDC) could  rig  the  December  elections , might  be in  practice. According to Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, Chairman of the Electoral Commission, the Ashanti Region has become the hotbed of registration disruptions.

Lastly, Daily Guide informs us that Assembly member for the Sakpare Electoral Area, Ayendago Francis Haddo, will appear in court on April 10 for allegedly slapping a registration official, Francis Aduk, at the Sakpare polling Station in the Binduri Constituency in Bawku. In the headline, Assembly Man slaps registration officer, the paper adds that Mr. Haddo was reported to have pounced on the registration official and slapped him, after a misunderstanding had ensued between his (Haddo's) wife and the EC officials at the Sakpare Polling Station.

As we round up with the day's review, a story from the Daily Guide indicates that GCPP will focus on economic change. The acting Chairman and Leader of the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), Dr.  Henry Herbert Lartey, has  disclosed that  the  strategy  of the Party is not  about  political power but rather  to focus on economic  change. He said  it was the belief  of the GCPP that Ghana was  capable  of  doing  a lot more  for its people , and that  the people  were equally  capable  of doing same  for the nation.

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

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Prestea Huni/Valley excels in first phrase of registration exercise

More than 27,590 residents of Prestea/ HuniValley registered during the first phase of the Biometric Voter Registration Exercise.

The District Electoral Officer for Prestea/Huni Valley, Mr. Kwadwo Debrah-Gyamfi, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that 37 polling stations out of the total 40 polling centers they covered in the exercise recorded that figure.

He said although his outfit encountered challenges such as freezing of computers and printers, they were able to register many people in the district.

Mr. Debrah-Gyamfi said they had estimated to register 90,000 people by the end of the exercise and with the immense improvement in the first phase of the exercise they were hopeful to meet their target.

He commended agents of political parties for their teamwork and appealed to those who qualified to register in the on-going exercise to wait patiently for the registration officers to get to their localities.

Source: GNA

 

 

Tano South District gets Inter-party Dialogue Committee

Mad Cynthia Anima Boadu, Tano South District Director of the National Commission for Civic Education, has inaugurated the District Inter-Party Dialogue Committee and appealed to members to bury their political differences and help to make the biometric registration exercise successful.

She said success of the exercise depended on political parties and advised the party agents at the registration centres to comport themselves well and channel their grievances through laid-down procedures.

Nana Fosu Gyeabour Akoto II, Omanhene of Bechem Traditional Council is the chairman of the committee made up of representatives of political parties, non-governmental organisations, the clergy, NCCE, Electoral Commission (EC) and the police.

Ms. Anima said it was important for political parties to tolerate the views of their opponents and to adhere to the code of conduct governing the activities of political parties. She said the only way the impending general election would be free and fair depended much on a credible voters' register and appealed to all eligible voters to support the EC in the registration process.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Emmanuel Baah, the District Police Commander, gave the assurance that the police would work with all relevant institutions to ensure law and order at registration centres in the district.
 

Source: GNA

Ghana Elections 2012 Daily News Review - 4th April, 2012

The top stories for today's review include:

1. Biometric registration activities; anomalies and security issues

2. Nomination of PPP presidential candidate.

3. President Mills' commitment to peaceful elections.

The Ghanaian Times reports that Machomen destroy registration machine. The Tafo /Pankrono District Police Command has mounted a hunt for a group of machomen who stormed the Ahenbronum electoral area at Tafo/Pankrono, in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region on Sunday, assaulted the registration officials and destroyed a laptop computer being used for the biometric voter registration. The thugs numbering about 20 arrived on motor bikes armed with dangerous implements and rushed on the electoral officers. They seized the laptop, removed the chip and destroyed it before they sped off.  Also on machomen, The Daily Graphic adds that Eight macho men yesterday  attempted to disrupt a collation exercise  being  undertaken  by the Manhyia Sub-Metro biometric  registration officers  at Dichemso a suburb of Kumasi, but the timely  intervention of the police  saved  the situation. In the headline Police halt macho men from stealing registration data, the paper reports that the disruption  was meant to distract  registration officers in the collation exercise and taking  away  chips  on which  data of the registration had been saved.

In other news, the Daily Guide indicates that the EC is troubled over disturbances. The chairman of the Electoral Commission, Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, has expressed worry over disturbances in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital, during the first phase of the biometric registration exercise. He was troubled by the situation in Swedru in the Central Region where a registration machine was stolen last Sunday night at one of the centers. Considering these troubles, the EC wants trouble makers arrested. The Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr. Kwadwo Afari –Gyan has asked the Police Administration to arrest and prosecute all those who want to foment trouble and disturb the biometric voter registration exercise. There  are many  reports of threats against  registration officers in some  districts and attempts by some well-built and party  agents to cause chaos  at registration  centres, the Ghanaian Times reports this on page 4 of the paper.

Investigate anomalies surrounding biometric registration, is the Ghanaian Times' story on page 12 as Ms Bridgitte Gordon, Ablekumah North Women's Organizer of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has asked the state to investigate media reports of  irregularities in the Biometric  Voter Registration exercise. Speaking  to the Ghana News Agency  in an interview  in Accra, she said  news  about  the use of machomen and some agents of some political  parties  to intimidate people seeking  to register in the on -going  exercise  were frustrating; hence   the need for the  government  to take a stand  to make  the process credible in the eyes of the  international community. The Chairman  of the Electoral Commission (EC) Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, has  maintained that it is  illegal  for anyone  to physically prevent  others from taking  part in the on-going  biometric registration exercise. This is captured on page 16 of the Daily Graphic in the headline It's illegal to prevent people from registering  And He explained that, the most  acceptable  and appropriate procedure was for people  with ''concrete evidence'' to pick   challenge  forms  and object to the registration of such  persons , not  the use of  force in any form.

The headline, Berekum to benefit from voter education project is what the Daily Graphic uses in reporting that the Berekum Municipality, identified as one of the elections hot spots in the Brong Ahafo  Region is to  benefit from  free, fair  and transparent general  election through effective  voter education and collective  stakeholder commitment. The project is  an initiative of the Pan-African  Organisation for Sustainable Development (POSDEV).

The last issue on the biometric registration is an allegation from the Daily Guide about Biometric cards for Fulanis. The paper claims reports reaching its news desk from Bole in the Northern region has it that aliens mainly Fulanis and Zamrama people from Niger are being registered in the ongoing biometric registration exercise. An assemblyman at Bole who could not stand the despicable development revealed to the paper's reporter that many foreigners and minors have been given the green light to register in the constituency under the watch of Electoral Commission (EC) officials.

In other elections news is the nomination of Dr. Papa Kwesi Ndoum as the flag-bearer of the Progressive People's Party. The Ghanaian Times adopts the headline PPP nominates Nduom as it repots that more  than 25,000 paid-up members of the Progressive People's Party (PPP) yesterday , nominated Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom as the party's presidential candidate for the 2012 election. The Daily Graphic also reports on the same news in the headline PPP confirms Nduom as flagbearer , adding that all paid up and card-carrying members of the party in all 230 constituencies across the country  simultaneously gave Dr. Nduom  the nod  to contest  the 201 2 elections. The founder and Leader of the Progressive People's Party (PPP), Dr.  Papa Kwesi Nduom yesterday received an over whelming  endorsement from  the rank  and file  of the party  to become  its first-ever flag  bearer.

We end today's newspaper review with President Mills' commitment to peaceful elections. President Atta Mills has affirmed to ensure that the country remains peaceful before, during and after the December polls. Interacting  with a section of the Ghanaian  community in Dakar while in Senegal to witness the investiture of President  Macky  Sall, President Atta Mills  said he would  be abusing  his oath of office  if he  did not ensure  that Ghana's Democracy  reached  higher  heights  after the elections. The Daily Graphic captures this in the headline, Mills reiterates commitment to free, fair elections. The New Crusading Guide also states this in its headline Mills talks tough…no bloody elections! President John Evans Atta Mills has dispelled the fear of Ghanaians that he is committed by his deeds to protect Ghana's democratic credentials in the December general elections-without shedding of blood. The paper adds that the President said loss of a single life in the up-coming election would be a setback in the country's electoral achievement, which remains a success story in Africa.

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

Follows us on twitter @Ghanaelections

 

 

 

Ghana Elections 2012 Daily News Review - 3rd April, 2012

The ongoing biometric registration which started on 24th March, 2012 opens today's review as Phase 2 of Biometric registration starts. Phase two of the ongoing biometric voters' registration begins tomorrow with 30 more days left. The Daily Dispatch adds that what  had happened over first 10-days  period  which   ended yesterday, explains that  many people  flocking  to various centers means   all those four polling  stations that  were put in a cluster will record usually  high  voters per polling  station.

In this regard, Ghanaians have been urged to register to empower them to vote. The Vice President  John Dramani  Mahama on Sunday  called on  Ghanaians  irrespective  of their  political  inclination to participate  in the on-going biometric  registration exercise to enable  them  to vote in the  December polls and  subsequent elections. ''All you ought to know  is that  registration is the entry-point   to all political  elections and I urge you all to register, and  to empower you  to exercise your democratic rights in the coming elections  and  beyond'', The Chronicle reports.

The Daily Graphic reports likewise in the headline Veep registers at Bole. The Vice-President, Mr. John Dramani Mahama, has urged all eligible Ghanaians to register in the on-going biometric voters registration exercise to enable them to vote in the December 7, 2012 election and subsequent ones. He made the call when he registered at Bole in the Northern Region, where he was the Member of Parliament before he assumed his current position.

With cases of foreigners attempting to register in the ongoing registration process, Ghanaians have been cautioned against arresting suspected aliens at registration centers. The  Brong Ahafo  Regional  Police Commander Robert Ayalingo has warned  that any civilian  who would  arrest a  person  suspected to be non-Ghanaian  at a polling  centre and send  him or her to the police station  would rather  be detained and  charged with  interfering  in the electoral  process. According to the Ghanaian Times, he stated in an interview with the Ghana News Agency   in Sunyani that any person who would suspect another person of being a non-Ghanaian should only fill a challenge form and leave the matter with the electoral officials.

The ongoing  biometric  registration  exercise  at Agya Bekwai center in the Tafo /Pankrono constituency in the Ashanti  Region was brought  to a halt for several  hours  when  the Electoral Commission (EC) registration officers were heckled by thugs  allegedly deployed to the center by the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC). In the headline Thugs Attack EC Officers, the Daily Guide indicates that the Thugs  numbering  nine , stormed  the center on unregistered motorbikes demanded the kits  the registration officers were using  for the exercise, a  demand  the officers refused to obliged.

Contrary to the violent situation the Daily Graphic reports that Biometric Registration in Upper West smooth. The Upper West Regional Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC),Mr Eric Dakurah, has described the ongoing biometric registration exercise in the region as generally smooth. He said but for a few challenges which were quickly resolved, the exercise could have been said to be excellent.

We end the day's review with news on Political leaders cautioned against inciting followers. A  visiting  Senior Fellow  of the Institute  of Economic  Affairs (IEA ) Brigadier General Francis Agyemfra has  cautioned  leaders of political  parties against  inciting  their  supporters to engage in acts  that  can negatively  affect  Election  2012. The Ghanaian Times adds that according to Brigadier Ayemfrah the upcoming presidential and parliamentary polls would be a real test for democracy in Ghana.

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

Follows us on twitter @Ghanaelections

 

Ghana Elections 2012 Daily News Review - 2nd April, 2012

As we begin the day's review, the registration exercise once again takes over the pages of the newspapers. The heritage's story on EC needs support to fix biometric hiccups – NCCE opens the review for today. The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) over the weekend called for total support and cooperation from all stakeholders to enable the Electoral Commission (EC) fix operational hiccups in the on-going biometric voter registration exercise. "The antagonism, character assassination and media warfare against EC and NCCE are uncalled for, as the EC has demonstrated its capacity and capability to deal with the operational challenges, it must therefore be given the opportunity to resolve the problems identified. In any case the exercise is only seven-days old...we have about 30-days to go....we must re-channel our energies against NCCE and EC to give more public education on the exercise," Mr. Harrison Kofi Belley, a Director at NCCE, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview.

The Daily Graphic also reports that with barely 10days in the BVR, the EC is reviewing data on registered voters to ensure that instances of double registration are eliminated. The process, known as duplication, the identification and weeding out of duplicate or multiple registrations is the crux if the biometric voters' registration process to ensure that we have credible and reliable voters register. In the face of many challenges and an extremely short time of implementation, the  independent National Electoral Commission has demonstrated its commitment, progressive forward-thinking vision and in fulfilling its objectives of acting on behalf of and in the best interest of the people. In return, a grateful nation has embraced and supported the process and with this type of commitment, the voter registration exercise can already be declared a huge success-which bodes well for the upcoming crucial December parliamentary and presidential elections. The paper states this in its headline "BVR progressing steadily"

Following the EC's promise to prosecute offenders of the biometric registration, both the Daily Guide and the New Statesman reported "Nigerian jailed two years for registering". Monday Chukwu Ebere, a 35 year old Nigerian businessman ,was on Friday sentenced to two years imprisonment with hard labour for registering as a voter by the Koforidua  Circuit Court. Chukwu, who pleaded guilty for deceiving a public officer, would be deported after serving the sentence.

Still on the violence surrounding the registration exercise, the Daily Guide states "Thugs attack registration centre at Kaase". The paper adds that thugs had attacked a biometric voters' registration centre at Kaase in the Asokwa Constituency in Ashanti, temporarily holding up the exercise. The gang allegedly arrived at the centre in a pick-up and on motorbikes, pulled guns and drew machetes.

Similar news from The Chronicle indicates that NYEP boss pulls gun at registration centre. It was a near bloodshed  last  Thursday at the Akwadum Local Authority Primary School registration centre in the New Juaben North  Constituency of the Eastern Region, when supporter  of the political giants, the opposition New Patriotic Party(NPP) and ruling  National Democratic Congress(NDC),reduced the  center  to a boxing arena. The situation, which appeared to be  a dress rehearsal of the ''all die be die slogan,'' all started  when, according to information received by the paper, one Nuhu Abdul Karim, an NPP polling agent at the centre challenged  the eligibility of a young girl, whose name  was not readily available as at the time of filling this report.

Due to the violent nature of the first phase of the registration exercise, Armed Soldiers and the Police have been deployed to Monitor Registration. The Brong Ahafo Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Mr. Issah Abdul Nasigri, has disclosed that the Brong Ahafo Regional Security Executive Council (REGSEC) would deploy   fully armed soldiers and police to the various biometric registrations centers in the region to monitor the process. The decision, according to The Ghanaian Observer, was taken following the recent skirmishes which ensued between supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) at Kuokum in the Asunafo South District.

It is the last day for phase one of the biometric voters' registration exercise and yet three communities in the Western Region are not registered. Eight days after the commencement of the biometric  registration exercise throughout the country, not a single person has been registered in three communities- Agemandiem, Old –Sawireso and Dome in the Juaboso District of the Western Region. The Ghanaian Times adds that there are a total of about 400 eligible voters in the three communities, and since the registration started a little over a week ago, not a single person has been registered.

The final news item for the day ending 2nd April, 2012 is that the Independent People's Party gets final certificate. The Electoral Commission (EC) has issued a final certificate to a new political party, Independent People's Party (IPP), to enable it to operate as a fully fledged party. The certification of IPP on Friday, coming on the heels of the Progressive People's Party (PPP), brings the number of political parties which have been certified by the EC to 19. Both the Daily Graphic and The Chronicle make this known to readers.

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

Follows us on twitter @Ghanaelections