Some of the top stories from the newspapers today include:
1. Labourer convicted for registering 15 times
2. Man arrested with 20 voter ID cards
3. Biometric registration updates
4. Security agencies told to maintain neutrality
5. CPP launches campaign for Korley Klottey
6. NDC will not tolerate intemperate language –Veep
One story making the headlines in most of the news papers is the conviction of the labourer who registered 15 times in the ongoing biometric registration exercise. The Ghanaian Times and the Daily Guide report that the 47-year-old labourer who registered 15 times in the ongoing biometric voter registration and assaulted a police officer, was yesterday fined a total of GH¢6,600 or in default serve two years and nine months jail term under the banners Labourer convicted for registering 15 times and Multiple Registration suspect fined GHc6,600, respectively. The Chronicle also captures this in the headline 47 yrs old man jailed for registering adding that the accused person, Emmanuel Archibald Laryea, who claimed to been suffering from mental problem, was yesterday ,convicted on his plea of guilty on charges of registering more than once at registration centres, and causing harm at the District Magistrate Court.
In a related development, Ghanaian Times reports with its headline Man, 48, caught with 20 voter IDs that a Ho Magistrate's Court has remanded a 48-year-old man in police custody for unlawfully possessing 20 voter's registration cards in the ongoing biometric voter registration exercise. Wisdom Gawoe, who resides at Shia, near the Togo border, was arrested last week for offence and put before the court. The Daily Graphic adds that Wisdom Gawoe a party polling agent for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) at Shia, was arrested by the Ho Municipal Police Patrol Team for collecting biometric voter identity cards from people under the pretext that they contained errors that had to be corrected. The paper uses the caption Man with 20 biometric registration cards remanded. The Daily Guide however uses the caption NDC Agent Grabbed in reporting the same story.
The paper similarly informs us that the Airport Police have arrested a Registration Officer in the ongoing biometric registration exercise for allegedly registering a list of names believed to be 'ghost' names given to him on sheet of paper. The suspect, Emmanuel Dua, in charge of Ayawaso West Registration Centre, was arrested near the Bank of Ghana flats at Roman Ridge upon a tip off by the police. The paper uses the headline Registration Officer Arrested, in reporting the incident.
News from the Heritage indicates NGO starts project to boost public confidence in biometric register. Save-Ghana, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) committed to improving on good governance practices at the grassroots level has embarked on a project dubbed: "Credibility Watch," in three constituencies in the Upper West Region. The project will whip up voter confidence in the ongoing biometric voter registration exercise.
In other stories on the biometric registration The Chronicle informs us under the headline Dunkwa MCE Happy with bio registration That the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Upper Denkyira West, Peter Kofi Ashia, has commended residents of Dunkwa-On-Offin and its surrounding communities for their high sense of commitment to peace, since the beginning of the biometric voters' registration exercise on March 24, 2012. According to the paper, on Monday, Mr. Kofi Ashia maintained that since the exercise begun, the electoral officers, political party agents, as well as prospective voters, had comported themselves very well, making the exercise peaceful in the area.
The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) has called on the Electoral Commission (EC) to clarify what it means for someone to be ordinarily resident and therefore eligible to register in a given electoral area. The call has become necessary as a result of the misunderstanding of that provision which has created tension in some constituencies in the ongoing Biometric Registration Exercise. The Daily Graphic states this under the headline Clarify ordinarily resident status –CODEO.
Still on the biometric registration and in the Daily Graphic indicates on page 17 that 'NDC must commit resources to BVR exercise' .The National Democratic Congress parliamentary candidate for the Karanga Constituency in the Northern Region, Mr. Alhassan Sualiyu Dandawa, has urged his party to commit more resources towards getting more eligible voters registration exercise. He said this was crucial it the party was to win the 2012 election.
In other developments, The New Statesman reports; EC's David Kanga Retires –Page2.The deputy Chairman in charge of Finance and Administration at the Electoral Commission, David Kanga, Monday retired from the Commission, bringing to an end 19 years of series to at the EC.Having reached the constitutionally mandated age of retirement, Mr. Kanga who was deputy Chairman of the EC in charge of operations met his staff Monday to inform them about his departure.
Away from the biometric registration, the Daily Graphic indicates under the banner GT Accra CPP condemns violence that the Convention People's Party (CPP) has expressed dismay at incidents of violence resulting in fatalities in the nationwide ongoing biometric voters' registration exercise. The Greater Accra Regional Executive Committee of the CPP expressed worry in a statement signed by the Regional Secretary of the group, Mr. Paul Kwame Anaman.
The paper similarly brings to our notice that Political parties pledge commitment to peace. Representatives of political parties in the Country have expressed concern about the recent violence that has characterized the political landscape and pledged their commitment to promote peace. They underlined the paramouncy of peace to the development of the country and urged all political actors, including the security agencies, to act in the interest of peace.
More efforts to maintain peace in the country as Quantson calls for urgent action to safeguard national security. A former National Security Co-ordinator Mr. Kofi Bentum Quantson has underscored the urgent need for security agencies and the government to take steps to control threats of violence in the run-up to the December general election before they degenerate into crisis. The Daily Graphic indicates that according to him, it was important to realize from a security standpoint that currently the state of national cohesion was not enviable hence the need for an urgent proactive action.
The Daily Dispatch uses the headline Peaceful elections means collective responsibility as it explains that Mr. Seth Anane Amankwaah, Dormaa Ahenkro Municipal Director of the Electoral Commission has called on Nananom, Ghana Muslims Association, the National Peace Council and other related organizations to add their voices in advising Ghanaians that General Elections is about expression of ideas but not war.
Still on safeguarding the peace of the nation, the Ghanaian Times also added in a headline 'Security agencies told to maintain neutrality' that panellists at a workshop on the theme, 'towards free, fair and violence-free elections: Holding our security forces accountable', have urged security agencies to maintain a positive posture of professional efficiency and demonstrate neutrality. They have indicated that the success, or otherwise of the 2012 elections will depend predominantly on how comprehensive and effectively security was provided, since security breaches can result in conflict and damage beyond repair.
The Daily Graphic reveals in the headline 'Don't dabble in partisan politics; Local assemblies urged that a traditional ruler in the upper West Region has expressed concern about the active involvement of district assemblies in partisan politics. 'District assemblies in Ghana have transformed themselves into political zones which every concerned Ghanaian must be worried about, Kuoro Baarecheh Nlowie Baninnye II acting President of the Zini Buwa Traditional Council, observed.
Reports from the Daily Guide indicate that NDC, NPP Youth Outgun Police. Two nights of sporadic gunfire between some youth of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) at Changli a suburb of Tamale seems to have left many wondering if the safety of residents can be guaranteed ahead of the December polls. Youth of the two political archrivals brandished sophisticated weapons Thursday and Friday as they engaged in sporadic shootouts outgunning the police.
In a related development, The New Statesman also informs readers that Buabeng Asamoah takes on Mills over Ken Agyepong. A Deputy Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party, Yaw Buabeng Asamoah, has expressed disgust at the recent comments made by the vice President John Mahama during the Ashanti Regional TEIN conference at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.Speaking to Shamima Muslim on Eye Witness news, the deputy communication director said the Vice President should have rather used the opportunity to calm the political tension in the country following the comments made the Assin North MP, Kennedy Agyepong, rather than repeating what the MP, and further belittling the suggestion given by former President Kufuor.
IPR bemoans intemperate language in politics is the headline used by the Daily Graphic in indicating that the Council of the Institute of Public Relations (IPR) Ghana has cautioned political and opinion leaders to be circumspect in their utterances, particularly when addressing a mass of people, no matter the channel of communication. It expressed worry about the alarming use of intemperate and intolerant language by politicians and political spokespersons.
The paper also tells us that the Upper West Regional Second Vice Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Hafiz Bin Salih, has stated that the NPP is not an ethnic centred political party.He, therefore, insisted that use of the unfortunate comments by Mr. Kennedy Agyapong, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin North, as a propaganda tool by the ruling National Democratic Congress to discredit the NPP, would not wash. It states this in the headline NPP not an ethnic-centred party-Salih.
Other reports by The Ghanaian Observer indicate that CPP Launches campaign for Korle Klottey. A ceremony at Osu on Saturday 21st April 2012 launched the candidacy of Dr. Kabu Okai-Davis to contest for the Parliamentary seat for the Korle Klottey. In an unopposed contest for the primaries, the candidate for Korle Klottey was acclaimed and the campaign was launched by the CPP Greater Accra regional Chairman, Dr. Fleischer.
The Heritage ends the review with its story that troubled residents of Kabu in the Akuapem North district of the Eastern region have threatened to disfranchise themselves from the up-coming December 7, 2012 presidential and parliamentary elections if they continue to sleep in darkness for the next eight months. It further reports with the headline No light, no vote that the residence who are peeved and have sworn never to participate in general elections have hoisted a big banner in the centre of the town with the inscription "Kabu, no light no vote".
This daily news review is compiled by African Elections Project (AEP) Media Monitoring Centre, Accra, Ghana.
Follows us on twitter @Ghanaelections
No comments:
Post a Comment