We begin today's review with a report from the Daily Dispatch that says 10.8 million Registered. As at the close of business on Monday April 30, 2012, 10.82 million Ghanaians have been registered in the ongoing biometric voter registration exercise. The Greater Accra, as at April 30, had 1,912,609 persons registered, as against the Daily Dispatch's estimated voter population of 1,954,822. Ashanti Region had 1,873,373 voters, Volta – 902,632 and Northern region had 745,718 voters.
The Daily Guide tells us in the headline Nigerian arrested with biometric voters that a Nigerian with a Nigerian identity card number 0406974 has been arrested and arraigned before the Tema circuit court 'A' for falsely presenting himself to registration officials at Afienya as AShaibu Hassan. The Nigerian, whose real name was given as Seybou Hassane Hamidu, according to the court, was a trader at Afienya.
More news on the biometric registration as, the Civic Forum Initiative (CFI), in collaboration with the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG), has revealed the positive and negative developments observed at biometric registration centers in 30 constituencies across the ten regions. According to the official press release issued yesterday, the preliminary finding of the observation has revealed developments that "require both immediate and long term interventions from stakeholders. The Chronicle, reports under the headline IDEG-CFI assess biometric registration exercise.
In other developments, the daily graphic informs us that residents of Tema Community Eight have expressed their displeasure at the breakdown of the Biometric Voters Registration kit allocated to the Community Eight Number Four School Registration Centre in the ongoing registration exercise. For some days the machine has been breaking down while the registration officers have failed to turn up.
The paper further reveals under the heading CAST holds workshop on registration that a body in the Catholic Church, Civic Agenda for smooth Transition (CAST) for Ghana'2012 Elections, has organized a day's workshop on the biometric registration for a number of Catholic Diocesan representatives in the Country .About 35 of the representatives from the Catholic Diocese of Kumasi, Konongo-Mampong, Goaso, Sunyani and Techiman attended the workshop held at the Christian Village near Santasi in Kumasi.
The Member of Parliament for Talensi in the Upper East Region and former Minister of Information, Mr. John Tia Akologu, has called on the Electoral Commission (EC) to as a matter of concern, extend the days for the biometric registration exercise in view of the numerous challenges that characterized the various phases of the exercise. This was revealed under the Ghanaian Times headline MP wants registration period extended. He said apart from the fact that the first phase suffered regular breakdown of machines and equipment in some registration centres, the last phase which would end on Saturday, May 5, had been characterized by shortage of materials notably laminates.
Finally on the biometric exercise, the Daily Graphic brings to our notice that Registration process is so far smooth –Dr. Glover. A Member of the council of state for the Volta Region, Dr. Bernard Glover, says the ongoing Biometric Voters Registration exercise has so far been smooth. 'On the whole, the people have shown great enthusiasm and I am impressed'', he said.
In other reports, the Deputy Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, Mr. Arthur G. Mutambara, has called on the Ghanaian media to be cautious in their reportage as the country heads for its presidential and parliamentary elections. The Daily Graphic reveals in the heading that Media advised to act with caution in reportage. He said the media had a major role to play in educating, communicating with and informing the public in the crafting of a peaceful state.
We are informed in the Daily Guide that NPP-USA deploys 1,000 observers. The leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the US has disclosed its readiness to protect the sovereign will of Ghanaians in the forthcoming general elections. Consequently, it has announced that more than 1,000 volunteers will be deployed into the country ahead of the elections to monitor proceedings warning that any acts of intimidation by members of the current government will be recorded and presented to the international community.
In the quest for peace ahead of the elections, the Ghanaian Times reports that Labour unions asked to preach against political violence. Dr. Kwaku Agyemang- Mensah, Ashanti Regional Minister, has invited the Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC) and other workers' organizations to join the crusade to protect the national peace before, during and after the December polls. He described as unfortunate the reported incidence of physical attacks and intimidation at the on-going biometric voter registration and said this should give cause for all to sit up.
The Daily Guide in related story states that 'Peace more important than political power'' .The Ghana Peace Campaign for Peace before, during and after year's general election has reminded politicians to always think peace before political power. They said that as they embarked on their campaign trails across the country, they should seek nothing but peace to ensure free, fair and transparent polls.
Also in the Ghanaian Times, Clergyman calls for peaceful elections .The Right Reverend Edward Ofori Donkor, Bishop of the Sekondi Diocese of Methodist Church, Ghana, has appealed to political parties and churches to ensure peaceful electioneering and credible elections in December. He stressed that the responsibility to maintain the integrity of the 2012 election did not only lie with the Electoral Commission, but Ghanaians who should collectively ensure free, fair and peaceful elections.
Still on the call for peace, and from the same paper, political parties have been urged to ensure high degree of decorum. The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr. Victor Smith, has appealed to political parties to ensure the highest degree of decorum and civility in their electioneering campaigns .He added that political campaigns should be characterized by tolerance, patience, decency and the respect.
Meanwhile, a social engineer, Nathaniel Ebo Nsarko has asked all Ghanaians to be in the league in striving to ensure that the peace that the nation has enjoyed over the years remains intact, unscathed and unhurt before, during and after the elections. Under the Crusading Guide's heading let's fight hate speech and political violence. He maintains that peace is the most important ingredient needed to facilitate any development agenda of the nation and hence it is important that Ghana be in one accord to ensure that the peace that we have is not hurt.
The Ghanaian Times finally adds that, the Centre for Community Studies Action and Development (CENCOSAD) in collaboration with Alliance for Reproductive Health Rights (ARHR), both non-governmental organisations, last Saturday organised a peace march in Accra ahead of the December Election where 2,500 youth are to promote peaceful elections .The event that aimed at engaging the youth positively so as to avoid violence and intolerance during Election 2012 was organised under the theme: Promoting health rights and accountability in a peaceful and fair 2012 elections.
We move onto news from the political parties and the Crusading Guide indicates that Bawumia tackles NDC gov't .Former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana and running mate to Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo for December 2012 Elections, says Ghanaians are experiencing a triple digit inflation in "suffering and pain" despite the fact that the current NDC administration has been blessed with tremendous economic opportunities. Dr. Bawumia who took his time to tackle the economic gains being touted by the Mills /Mahama administration, pointed out that under their watch (NDC), cost of living had risen astronomically and that prices of basic commodities had remained highly volatile in the last three years.
The Ghanaian Times in other developments reports that NPP responds to NDC press conference. The New Patriotic Party has accused the ruling government of being hypocritical on the issue of ethnicity in Ghanaian politics. While it acknowledged that the recent statement by its Member of Parliament for Assin North, Kennedy Agyapong, was intemperate, the party insisted that the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) cannot ride the horse of morality and accuse the NPP of sparking ethnic tension in the country.
A report from the Daily Guide reveals that NDC won't resort to violence. The Ashanti Regional secretariat of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has given the assurance that if would not resort to violence as its members go through the biometric registration exercise despite the alleged brutalities visited on some of its agents by some NPP thugs in the region. The NDC said since the exercise started, its members had been at the receiving end of unprovoked attacks and condemned the NPP for creating confusing in the biometric voter registration exercise in the region.
We wrap up today's newspaper review with reports from the Ghanaian Times that a presidential aspirant of the Convention People's Party (CPP), Bright Akwetey has promised to offer selfless and dedicated leadership to turn the country round .He accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of failing Ghanaians with their policies, which he said, only favoured certain categories of people in the society. The paper quotes in the headline I will positively turn the nation round – Akwetey.
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