Review of the dailies today begins with news on the upcoming biometric voters' registration exercise. The Daily Graphic captures this in the headline Political parties want EC to step up campaign on biometric voters registration with barely five days to the beginning of the 2012 biometric voters registration (BVR), political parties in the country have urged the Electoral Commission (EC) and the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) to step up its education of the electorate. According to them, many people, particularly those in the rural areas, market women, and the uneducated do not know much about the biometric registration and are therefore unlikely to turn up during the registration.
In a related story, the Crusading Guide reports that Supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Okaikoi North constituency in the Greater Accra Region organized a keep fit exercise last Saturday during which the electorates in the area were sensitized on the upcoming biometric voters registration exercise. With hundreds of party supporters dressed in their colourful party T-shirts bearing the inscription "CHANGE NOW'', the exercise kicked-started in the early hours of the morning at Lapaz and went through the George Walker Bush Highway, Tesano, Abeka Free Pipe, Fadama and back to Lapaz.
EC Alone cannot provide credible biometric voters register-says Commissioner is the headline The Chronicle used to report that, Commissioner of the Electoral Commission, Mrs Pauline Adobea Dadzawa, has called on all stakeholders such as political parties, organizations and individuals to assist the commission provide a credible biometric voters register, since it cannot do it alone. This she said at a one day media dialogue in Cape Coast on Monday, reiterating that a credible voters registration could only be attained when political parties, agents, the media, individual and traditional rulers in the various communities are vigilant enough to prevent minors and non-Ghanaians from registering when the exercise begins on Saturday.
The Ghanaian Times once again reports in the headline Ghanaians warned against multiple registrations that Alhaji Abdulai Haruna Friday, Tamale Municipal Chief Executive, has warned that any person caught engaging in multiple registration in the upcoming biometric voters registration would be made to face the law. He said the biometric system would be able to detect any person who attempts to engage in electoral malpractices.
The Ghanaian Times provides more news on the Biometric Registration Exercise under the headline Elephant Ladies call for intensified education on biometric registration that a group within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Northern Region is urging the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) to step up public education of the biometric registration process which will soon start for the December general polls. The group observed that with barely nine months to the 2012 presidential and parliamentary polls, information regarding the electoral reform by the EC which in the biometric registration had not been well packaged in order to reach out to the people.
We continue the days review with concerns about insults in politics. This has been captured by the Daily Graphic in the headline Politics of Insults recipe for disaster. The Deputy Volta Regional Minister, Mr. Henry Ametefe, has described the use of uncharitable political languages, insults, attacks on political opponents as a test and challenge to the country's democratic dispensation. ''This situation is a recipe for disaster if not properly managed and represents a threat to our democracy,'' he said.
"I am the most abused political leader"is what the flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party said as he asks President Mills to take the lead in reprimanding his appointees who use intemperate language in political discussion programmes; the Ghanaian Times reports.
On elections security matters, the Daily Graphic also reports that Government is prepared to resource security personnel. According to the paper, the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr Kwaku Agyemang-Mensah's gave the assurance to security personnel of government's unflinching support to enable them discharge their duties effectively before, during and after the elections. He explained that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government was very prepared to provide all necessary logistics and motivation to enable them to effectively perform their duties of ensuring sustainable peace in the country.
On election observation, the Daily Graphic says Domestic Election Observation in Ghana, the story of CODEO. Ghana is touted as the beacon of democracy in a region plagued with political instability, conflict and divisions. But as the December 2012 elections approach, the question on the lips of many political watchers, and indeed many Ghanaians, is whether Ghana will be six times lucky in avoiding the chaos that characterizes elections in Africa. Will Ghana continue to be a shining example of fair, transparent and credible multiparty elections and the oasis of peace in a troubled sub-region or slide into anarchy and political retrogression?
Ghanaians have been asked to put aside political differences and come together to ensure peaceful and successful election in December. Mr. Alex Sackey, Cape Coast Metropolitan Director of the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE), made the call at the inauguration of a 22-member Inter Party Dialogue Committee, set up by the NCCE in Cape Coast, to ensure peaceful polls in December. This, the Ghanaian Times captures in the headline Cape Coast Inter –Party Dialogue Committee inaugurated
A look at the NDC activities raises concerns about Whether NDC's Sunyani Congress was rigged as the Daily Dispatch talks about Former First Lady, Dr Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings' comments over the weekend alleging that some executives rigged the National Democratic Congress(NDC) July 9,2011 congress to enable President John Atta Mills overwhelm her at the polls. Nana Konadu had alleged that she knew that more than 1,000 persons who voted were not delegates. However, she said she did not want to break the news hence her decision not to embark on any legal challenge to the results.
Still on the NDC, the Ghanaian Times has reported that NDC students' wing has been inaugurated at the All Nations University. The All Nations University College students' wing of the National Democratic Congress has been inaugurated at Koforidua in the Eastern Region. The students' wing of the party is aimed at engaging members in groups to study the achievements of the leader, President John Evans Atta Mills and the NDC party as a whole in order to extend their knowledge to other students and people in the immediate environment.
Away from the NDC, we move to the opposition NPP where the Daily Graphic says that an Industrialist and philanthropist, Mr. Osei Mensah Michael, has offered himself to partner Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the presidential candidate for the NPP in a story headlined I'm ready to partner Akufo –Addo-Mensah. The Philanthropist, popularly called ''Honourable'', said if his candidacy was considered, he would represent the Diaspora in the presidential race and could maximize votes for the NPP and Nana Akufo-Addo.
Also about the opposition is the Daily Guide news that the Campaign manager of the New Patriotic Party(NPP), Emmanuel Boakye Agyarko yesterday assured members of the Greater Accra Regional Campaign team which he inaugurated that logistics to enable them to do their work would be provided. He announced that pickup vehicles for the campaign would soon be taken delivery of warning that when they arrive he would ensure they are put to good use. The paper covers this in the headline Campaign cars to arrive soon.
Finally about the NPP, and to end our newspaper review, the Daily Graphic says Let's embrace free SHS education policy-Berekum MP. The Member of Parliament (MP) for Berekum, Mr. Kwaku Agyenim- Boateng, has asked Ghanaians to embrace the free SHS policy proposed by the NPP presidential candidate, Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo Addo, instead of casting doubt over its feasibility.
He said he believed that as an astute politician who has wealth of exposure and experience, Nana Akufo –Addo has thought through the policy carefully and identified the needed resources to implement it, stating that Ghanaians must have the confidence that the policy was implementable.
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