Ghana Elections Daily News Review - 6th June, 2012

Making the headlines in the dailies today is news from the political party terrain and the Daily Guide informs us that JJ Won't Campaign. The Member of Parliament (MP) for Lower Manya Krobo and leading  member of the ruling National Democratic  Congress (NDC), Teye  Nyaunu has  disclosed that former  President  Rawlings  will not  campaign  for  the  ruling  party  in the December polls. Speaking  on Kessben FM in Kumasi, he said  the  Mills-led government  has not  added any value  to the lives of  Ghanaians  since  it assumed office  more than  three years ago  therefore  he does  not think Mr. Rawlings would  mount  the campaign platform  to urge  the populace  to renew the mandate of the  NDC.

The Ghanaian Times however reports that the former spokesperson for the defunct Armed Forces Revolution Council (AFRC), Major Rtd. Boakye Djan, says the Mills administration will win the December elections without the contributions of NDC founder Jerry John Rawlings. According to him, the Mills-led administration had done a lot to deserve a second term in office. The paper quotes him as saying we will win without Rawlings.

Away from that, we are told still by the Ghanaian Times that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Friday expressed worry about the intermittent power outages in the Country and blamed the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for the current deficit in the nation's energy supply. The NDC alleged that the NPP in its eight year term in office was negligent and failed to give the needed attention to the energy sector.

We now move to some campaign activities as NPP takes measures for victory. The Central Regional youth organizer of the New Patriotic Party, Mr. Francis Ejaku Donkoh, has said the party will reclaim all the seats it lost in the 2008 elections, come December 2012. The Daily Guide adds that according to him, the party's hierarchy had over the  last three years identified the difficulties that led  to their  abysmal  performance in the 2008 polls and had put in place  measures  to ensure  that they post a  better result in this year's  elections.

The Daily Dispatch also reports on page 9 that the Presidential Candidate for the Progressive People 's Party (PPP), Dr. Paa Kwasi Nduom, has appealed to Ghanaians  to give PPP a chance in the upcoming general  elections  to transform the nation within only four years. Dr. Nduom , the founder of PPP, made  this appeal at the National launch  of the party's  campaign train, where  he observe that  the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) and  the ruling  National Democratic Congress (NDC) have  been in power since 1992 and "have  done  nothing good  to transform the nation so there  is the need for Ghanaians  to vote  massively  for the PPP to transform  the nation beyond  recognition."

News from the Daily Graphic indicates that the Central Regional Youth Organizer of the ruling National Democratic Congress, Mr. Sampson Ahianyo, has said the many pro-poor initiatives implemented by President  J.E.A Mills had won  more support for the party in the region. In this connection, he had argued that the party would consolidate its control of the region by winning more parliamentary seats come December 2012. The paper reports this under the banner Pro-poor initiatives to win more support for NDC.

 

Finally on campaigns, the Ghanaian Times brings to our notice that the Convention People's Party (CPP) on Tuesday unveiled series of activities to kick-start its Election 2012 campaign to be launched on June 12. As part  of electoral activism to gain momentum for the June 12 official launch, leading  members of the party including  Dr. Abu Sakara Foster, CPP flag bearer and Ms Samia Yaba Nkrumah, leader and Chairperson, paid a visit to Nkroful, the birth place of late President Osagyefo Dr. Kwame  Nkrumah  recently.

We end the daily review with news from the Daily Graphic which indicates that a Renowned evangelist  and President  of the world wide Miracle  Outreach  Lawrence Tetteh has  observed  that  some  politicians  have develop the spirit  of arrogance lately, calling  on Ghanaians  to reject  them. According  to him, God in his own way had appointed the one  who would  lead Ghanaians  come 2013  and beyond so people  should do away  with  the Spirit  of intolerance, personality  attacks , insults  tribalism and divisive  politics. The paper quotes him as saying Reject Politicians with Arrogant Spirit.

 

 

 

Ensure level political playing field - Church Youth

The Youth Ministry of the Lighthouse (Central) Assembly of God Church in Kumasi has called for fair play and responsible conduct by all Ghanaians to ensure the success of the upcoming general polls.
They condemned the violence during the biometric voter registration, the continued polarization and intolerance, and said these must end.
 A statement read by the Reverend Joseph Appiah, an Associate Pastor of the Church, said lessons must be learnt from the bitter experience of other African countries like Liberia, Sierra Leone and La Cote D'Ivoire to avoid pitfalls.
 This was after hundreds of youth from the various branches of the church had gone on a two-and-a-half hour peace walk along some principal streets in Kumasi.      
 They held placards carrying messages such as "Peace is more precious than electoral victory", "Peace, and not shattered lives", "Peace today, peace tomorrow, peace forever", "Say yes to peace, and no to violence", and "War is expensive, peace is priceless."
The statement said "we pride ourselves as a nation after God's own heart, this is truism but we should know that we are not more righteous than the countries that have suffered the ravages of political and ethnic violence."
 It therefore reminded the political parties to focus their electioneering campaigns on issues that affect the ordinary people and not on insults and vilification.
 The media should also be objective, balanced and fair in their news reports. They must do away with unnecessary sensationalism likely to have far-reaching repercussions on the nation's peace.
 It also called on the security agencies to be professional and to deal decisively with individuals and groups out there to undermine the electoral process.
 The Electoral Commission (EC) on its part must do everything to create level political playing field to make the outcome of the December poll credible and acceptable to all the parties.
The statement called on religious bodies to continue praying for peace, unity and the tranquility of the nation.
"Religious leaders should preach tolerance and peaceful co-existence and desist from using the pulpit to engage in partisan politics."

GNA

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

News making the headlines in the dailies today includes the launch of PPP'S campaign over the weekend. Reports from the Daily Graphic, Ghanaian Times and the Ghanaian Observer indicate that the Progressive  People's Party (PPP) launched its  National campaign for  the 2012 Presidential  and Parliamentary elections  at an impressive  rally held at Elmina  in the central Region on Saturday, 2^nd June with thousands and thousands  of people  in attendance. The party used the occasion to announce its community-based campaign right after the inaugural ceremony .The PPP showcased many of the PPP'S youthful Parliamentary candidates from all the ten regions of the country.

News from the Crusading Guide reveals that four constituencies in the Kassena Nankana East Electoral area of the Upper East Region have dragged the Electoral Commission (EC) and six others to the Accra Human Rights court for allegedly not organizing the biometric registration exercise in their areas. The communities were represented by their elders namely, Aberinga Aligbo, elder of the Atosale people, Azungra Abuo, elder of Azaasi people, Azinyegre Anafo, elder of Abempingo people and Ayariga Awunge, elder of Akukongo people. The paper reports this under the headline EC sued over biometric.

The Ghanaian Observer informs readers under the quote NPP Free Education Is Possible that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary candidate for Bongo Constituency, Madam Diana Assure Aburiya, has said that the free Senior High School (SHS) policy of the party would not be a mirage when Ghanaians give the NPP their mandate come December 7 this year. Madam Aburiya said the NPP has been tried and tested for it policies and when it is given the mandate it would deliver on it promises.In other reports the New Statesman indicates that NPP women pray for party and nation. The Sekondi-Takoradi Women's wing of the opposition New Patriotic Party last Friday organized an All-night prayer session to seek divine intervention and victory for the party and its presidential candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo come December. Dubbed 'Ye sere Nyame', the women also used the occasion to pray for God's protection and blessing for the party's presidential running mate, Mahamudu Bawumia, Members of Parliament, aspiring Members of Parliament and the nation as a whole.

Electorate poised to vote NPP in 2012-Akufo Addo. According to the Daily Guide, the Ghanaian electorates are poised to vote the New Patriotic Party (NPP) into power in 2012, the Flagbearer of the NPP, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has stated. However, he told the members of the party that there was no room for complacency but that hardwork and unity were required to propagate the party's message of hope to every nook and cranny of the country.

The paper in another report informs us that Youth of the Convention People's Party (CPP) and the People's National Convention (PNC) have said the two Nkrumaist parties risk losing their relevance in Ghanaian politics beyond the 2012 elections if they fail to merge.  According to them, Ghanaians voters would not take the two seriously since they continued to prolong their unity talks even they had both shown interest in merging.

Still from the Daily Guide, Former President Rawlings has warned that unless the National Democratic Congress returns to June 4th principles of truth, transparency, and accountability, which formed the basis for the formation of the party victory in the 2012 elections, will be an illusion. According to him, the NDC under President Mills has neglected those values and principles which had led to a number of corrupt activities taking place in clear violation of the promise made to Ghanaians that made them vote he Atta Mills administration into power in2008.

Meanwhile Ghana's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Professor Kwaku Danso-Boafo, has urged Ghanaians to use the forthcoming general election to demonstrate to the world that Ghana is mature in her democratic dispensation.  Under the headline Let's show Ghana's maturity in democracy .He said  Ghana  had the chance  to consolidate  the gains  of  democracy  in the crucial December elections.

We end today's review with the Daily Guide's headline Central Region to reject NDC –NPP regional organizer. The Central Regional Youth Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Francis Edjaju Donkoh, says the Central Region will reject the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in this year's elections .He stated that the various in-house surveys conducted by the NPP indicated that the NDC would not win more than five parliamentary seats out of the 19 seats in the region.

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

Follows us on twitter @Ghanaelections

 

Journalists urged to resist intimidation by politicians

Mr Victor Kwawukume, the Volta Regional Chairman of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), has appealed to journalists to resist being intimidated by politicians ahead of the December polls.
 He was reacting to comments allegedly made by Mr Fritz Baffour, the Minister of Information, in Ho that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) should not rely on the media to propagate the government's achievements because the media were not on the side of the government.
 Mr Kwawukume said this at a press soiree at the Residency in Ho on Friday. He said the media draw its mandate from Article 162 clauses (1) and (2) of the 1992 Constitution and appealed to journalists not to entertain any fear in carrying out their constitutionally mandated work.
 "You must know that some people will call you the beloved on sunshine days but when the weather threatens, that love gets clouded by uncertainties and suspicion leading to a redefinition of existing relations," he stated.
 Mr Kwawukume said the media since 1992 played its role quite well and urged practitioners to "leave the nation intact" before, during and after the December polls.
 "So far, we have done well but we need to step up our game, fight for the ordinary person and ensure that peace prevails all times," he said and appealed to media practitioners to remain steadfast and be guided by the code of ethics of the profession.

 
GNA

FCDE organizes peace walk in Ayawaso East

Forum for Community Development and Empowerment (FCDE), a youth group in Nima of the Ayawaso Constituency on Saturday organized a peace walk ahead of the Election 2012 in the Ayawaso East Constituency.

The group which was established with the aim of empowering communities through government programs organised the walk to sensitize the general public on the need for peace and avoiding violent acts.

 Dr Mustafa Ahmed, Deputy Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, said peace and unity was supreme to every community, ethnic and religious groups and appealed to Ghanaians to promote peace for development.

He said politicians in their quest for power should be mindful of the language and that they should not use intemperate language that has the tendency to destroy the peace that the nation was enjoying

 "We should not allow politicians to destroy the peace and unity that our communities and Ghana is enjoying, without unity no peace and without peace no development."

Dr Ahmed who is also Member of Parliament (MP) of the area took the opportunity to advise the constituents to clean their environment daily in order to prevent the outbreak of diseases in their communities.

He said the World Environment Day scheduled to take place in Sunyani on June 5^th was near saying "I hope that every community in this constituency would organize clean-up exercises on such date to celebrate the Day.

Dr Ahmed congratulated the FCDE for organizing the peace walk in the constituency saying "this would continue until the end of the December election to ensure peace in the constituency."

 Mr Salim Bashir, Operations Officer of the FCDE, said the aim of the  group was to sensitize communities on proposed government projects at the community level and urged all Muslims to actively participate in the national electioneering programs.

 He said FCDE was to build public support among the population to identify the qualities of good political leaders and share the benefit of government continuation of previous government projects.

 Mr Bashir urged government, the United Nation (UN) Security Council and the International Criminal Court (ICC) to pursue any person whose aim was to create confusion and incite ethnic conflict for their selfish political agenda.

 He also urged all registered voters in Nima, Mamobi, Ruga and Accra-Newtown and Ghana as a whole to come out massively and exercises their franchise in the upcoming December general Election.

GNA

Reject trouble makers- Freda Prempeh

Ms.Freda Prempeh, Parliamentary candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Tano North of  Brong-Ahafo has advised the youth to reject politicians who would want to use them to foment trouble during the electioneering campaign.

She entreated them to be disciplined and adhere to all electoral laws, as well as respect the views of political opponents to ensure peaceful elections in December. Addressing a large number of NPP supporters, sympathizers and activists at a people's forum at Duayaw-Nkwanta to launch her campaign, Mrs. Prempeh emphasized that the future of the country was in the hands of the youth.    

The forum held last Friday was attended by Members of Parliament, national party executives and some former ministers of state. Ms. Prempeh said Election 2012 and future elections would be peaceful if parents consider the proper upbringing and development of their children as a service to God.    

She observed that many parents shirk their responsibilities and do not bring up their children the way they should, which she said had left many of the youth frustrated and helpless.

Ms. Prempeh expressed regret politicians who should help these teeming youth to find something reasonable to do rather capitalise on their vulnerability and herd them into violence for their selfish political gains.   

She emphasized that the NPP believed in providing skill training and quality education as a means to create jobs for the teeming youth to make them self reliant.   

Touching on some of her achievements in the area, Ms Prempeh said through her efforts Krofrom, Subriso number one and Subriso number two, as well as Sukuumu number one and
Sukuumu number two in the area had all been connected to the national electricity grid.   

She said if the NPP was still in power, Santase, Adagyamanu, Onwe, Nkwantabisa, Mamponteng, Nsuapem, Keasuagya and Ahyiayem would also have been hooked to the grid."I have personally supported a number of programmes and projects in the district and donated library books and computers to many of the schools in the area", she added.    

This and a number of achievements, she said was the reason why the people should vote massively for her and Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo-Addo, NPP's flagbearer in the December polls for accelerated development.  

Mrs. Prempeh advised the people to support national development efforts and not allow partisan politics to create enmity amongst them.

GNA

Ghana Elections 2012 Daily News Review - 1st June, 2012

In today's review, the Ghanaian Times informs us that Brong- Ahafo  registers 1,248,338 people in biometric registration exercise. A total of 1,248,338 prospective voters were registered in the biometric registration exercise which ended some weeks ago, Mr. George Gyabaah, the  Brong Ahafo Regional Director of the Electoral Commission, disclosed on Tuesday. He was speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview in Sunyani during the registration of some inmates at the Sunyani Central Prison.

News from the Daily Graphic indicates that NPP commends EC on BVR but….The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has congratulated the Electoral commission for successfully conducting the Biometric Voters Registration (BVR) exercise across the country within a relatively tight time-frame. While we pat the EC's shoulders for a job well done, we would at the same time like to register our concerns, based on our agents, experience and media reporting on the ground in constituencies and polling stations across all 10regions.

Recent update on the ongoing inmates registration was revealed by the New Weekend Crusading Guide  that  Over 100 prison inmates Register for Biometric ID Cards. The much anticipated registration of prisoners for the biometric voters' register ended successfully Tuesday evening. A little over a hundred prisoners out of an estimated thirteen thousand prisoner population from 43 prisons across the country available themselves for the exercise.

Away from that, the Vice president of the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA), Mr. Affail Monney, has entreated journalists in the country to ensure that they do not create conflict during and after this year's general elections through the delivery of their work. Under the headline Journalists should not create conflicts in run down to elections .He advised that as professionals   'we should tilt what we say towards conflicts become inevitable we should reframe issues to make them tractable. The Ghanaian times had this report.

Another report from the paper also inform readers that the Ark Foundation, an advocacy based women's organisation, has called on Ghanaians to endeavour to maintain peace before, during and after Election 2012.It said peace is vital for Ghana's democracy because the absence of peace would bring untold hardships to the citizenry, particularly  women and children as well as underdevelopment.

Now news from the political parties and Daily Graphic reports that PPP to focus on malaria, cholera eradication. The Progressive People's Party (PPP) yesterday, laid down its health blue print with eradication of malaria and cholera as its key focus in its first term of office .It said alongside the eradication of the two diseases, the party would empower institutions to place more premium on preventive measures supported by control treatment and bring back sanitary inspectors to enforce the law.

'I Have Never Promoted Tribal Politics'. The New Patriotic Party flag-bearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has said that he has never advocated nor through of promoting tribal politics in Ghana as being propagated by members of the National Democratic Congress across the country. The Daily guide further reveals that according to him, the NDC government, in its quest to sweep the massive corruption and mass suffering of Ghanaians, deliberately propagated that he and the NPP were promoting tribal politics; hence people should not vote for the party.

The New Statesman also brings to our notice that NPP tasks EC over December polls. The New Patriotic Party has praised the Electoral commission for conducting a successful maiden Biometric Registration Exercise across the country within a relatively tight timeframe, despite the numerous challenges that characterized it. Whilst the party pats the EC's shoulders for a job well done, the party in a release signed by its National Chairman, Jake Otanka Obetesbi-Lamptey further registered among other things several concerns which emanated from the exercise and need to be addressed.

In another report by the same paper, NPP youth activist advocates clear-cut roles for party youth. The Mampong constituency youth organizer of the New Patriotic Party, Dennis Kwakwa, says with the rising incidence of personal attacks and insults in the nation's political discourse, it is important that the youth are made to understand the clear- cut roles they are expected to play in their parties. He said the youth tend to play a more effective and responsible role I political activities rather than causing havoc, if they are engaged positively and roles careful spelt out to them.

We end today's review with a report from the Ghanaian Observer that says Manso Amenfi Chief Tasks Nduom. The chief and people of Manso Amenfi in the Wassa Amenfi West District of the Western Region have appealed to the flag-bearer of the Progressive People's Party (PPP) to make good his promise of providing jobs for unemployed youth in the community and developing the town on assumption of office. Alluding to the Biblical story of Joseph, the chiefs and people pledged to vote for the PPP because of the part's good police on education, job creation and healthcare that he presented to tem but reminded him to remember us in paradise.

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

Follows us on twitter @Ghanaelections