Political Page, lead, (Daily Graphic) January 5/2009
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
PROFESSOR John Evans Atta Mills of National Democratic Congress (NDC), was at the weekend pronounced winner of the crunch Presidential run-off elections held on December 28 to become the third president of the Fourth Republic from January 7, 2009.
In what has been described as the closest presidential contest in the country’s political history since independence, Professor Mills polled 4,521,032, representing 50.23 per cent of the total valid votes cast to beat his rival Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) who had 4,480,446, representing 49.77 per cent.
Total valid votes cast was 9,001,478 representing 72.91 per cent of the total number of registered voters of 12,472,758.
Making the pronouncement at exactly 11.05 am at a heavily attended news conference which featured both local and foreign media, the Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr Kwadwo Afari said; “Without doubt, the road to today has been long and arduous for all concerned, but by God’s Grace we have finally arrived”.
As of 9.30 am, the leading members of the NDC including Dr Kwabena Adjei, chairman of the NDC, Mr Asiedu Nketia, General Secretary, Mr Baba Jamal, National Youth Organiser, Mr E.T Mensah, a leading member of the party and Member of Parliament for Ningo Prapram and still the MP-elect for the same constituency, among others, were seated to await what they were confident to be ‘good news’ for the NDC.
Conspicuously missing from the EC conference hall were the members of the ruling NPP, who, at the last announcement by the EC before the Tain election, were represented by the Chairman of the party, Mr Peter Mac Manu, Nana Ohene Ntow, General Secretary of the party and Mr Kwabena Agyapong, a leading member of the party.
The commission had since December 7, 2008 when the general elections were held, failed to declare a winner, first because of the inability of any of the eight presidential candidates who vied for the seat, to obtain the more than 50 plus one votes required by the constitution to be declared President.
In that contest, Nana Akufo-Addo came close with 49.13 per cent while Professor Mills polled 47.92 per cent to force the presidential elections into a second round.
Again, after the December 28 run-off which featured only the two parties (NPP/NDC), the EC could not declare a winner because of the commission’s inability to hold elections in the Tain constituency in the Brong Ahafo Region due to what its described as circumstances beyond its control.
There are 230 constituencies in the country but as of the end of the run-off elections, only 229 results were declared which put Professor Mills in the lead with 4,478,411, representing 49.87 per cent with Nana Akufo-Addo polling 4,501,466, representing 50.13 per cent.
Dr Afari-Gyan said; “a few days back, I stated that the results from 229 out of the 230 constituencies of the country had failed to produce an outright winner, so it had become necessary to conduct the run-off election in the Tain constituency of the Brong Ahafo region, where the election could not take place on December 28, 2008.”
He used the occasion to clarify some misconceptions in the minds of sections of the public saying; “let em emphasise that in compiling those results, contrary to what we have since been hearing from certain quarters, nothing was deducted from or added to the number of votes obtained by either the NPP or the NDC in Ashanti and Volta regions”.
Dr Afari-Gyan said he had indicated in his previous statements that the NDC had complained about the results of certain constituencies in the Ashanti region, and the NPP had similarly complained about the results from certain constituencies in the Volta region.
“I did also say that if evidence were provided in support of any such complaint, it would be examined on its merit and any relevant findings would be factored into the final declaration of results”, he said.
Dr Afari-Gyan said the commission sat and examined materials submitted by both the NDC and the NPP in the nature of evidence to support their claims and was able to make some findings.
“The NDC failed to submit complete sets of polling-station-by-polling station acceleration of results forms to enable a re-examination of the collated figures for the constituencies in Ashanti that they had complained about”, he stated emphatically.
“In respect of the materials submitted by the NPP in the nature of evidence, the commission found out that; some of the issues raised bother on criminality and, therefore, fall outside the competence of the Electoral Commission; In the purely electoral matters, the commission did not find the evidence provided to be sufficient to invalidate the results”, he said.
Dr Afari-Gyan said in view of the findings about the complaints of the two parties, the results as previously tallied from the 229 constituencies remained unchanged.
“Accordingly, the results of the run-off election in the Tain constituency which was held on December 2, 2009, had been added to the national tally.
In that contest of which the NPP officially boycotted, the NDC managed to poll 19,566 while the NPP had 2,035.
Monday, January 5, 2009
I'LL BE FATHER TO ALL - Prez-elect pledges
Front Page, lead, (Daily Graphic), January 5/2009
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
THE President-elect, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, has pledged his commitment to lead the country as the third President of the Fourth Republic without discrimination against anyone and urged all to get on board.
“I will be a true father for the entire nation and a President for all,” he told hundreds of enthusiastic NDC supporters who had gathered at his campaign office at Kuku Hill, Osu, a few hours after the Electoral Commission (EC) had officially declared him winner of the most keenly contested presidential election in the country’s history.
Hours earlier, the Chairman of the EC, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, had declared Professor Mills the President-elect, after he had won 4,521,032 votes, representing 50.23 per cent of the total valid votes cast, to beat his rival, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), who had 4,480,446, representing 49.77 per cent.
Total valid votes cast were 9,001,478, representing 72.91 per cent of the total number of registered voters of 12,472,758.
Spotting a white short-sleeved linen shirt over a black pair of trousers and a black pair of shoes, the former Vice- President entreated those who harboured fears of discrimination under his reign to disabuse their minds and join him to work for a better Ghana.
Before Prof Mills’s maiden pronouncement as the President-elect, NDC stalwarts and supporters had danced to party songs provided by a giant mobile van placed a few metres away from the specially built stage draped in the national colours to signify the suspension of party politics after a crunch election.
Among the NDC stalwarts were Mr E.T. Mensah, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo Prampram; Mr Elvis Afriyie Ankrah; Mr Fiifi Kwetey, the Propaganda Secretary of the party; Mr Totobi Quakyi, a former Head of National Security under the Rawlings administration, among others.
“It has been a long journey towards this day but, thankfully, we have come to the end of the road,” Prof Mills admitted to spontaneous cheers from his supporters who were clad in all manner of party paraphernalia.
He said the elections were over and so there was no more NDC Ghana or NPP Ghana but one Ghana and urged all to join him to develop the country.
“We are all aware that there were many candidates in the December 7 elections but this was narrowed down to two in the run-off and by the grace of God I have emerged the winner to run the affairs of the state,” he said.
Prof Mills congratulated all contestants in the presidential election, particularly Nana Akufo-Addo, “for giving me a good fight” and expressed the hope that they would all work together for a better Ghana.
He thanked the EC and the security services for their professionalism in the discharge of their respective duties during the activities leading to and during the elections and after.
To his supporters, he said, “You have every reason to celebrate,” but urged caution, saying, “Let us do it in such a manner that it will not provoke anybody.”
Prof Mills said the victory was only a step into the future and indicated that although he had gracefully accepted the challenge ahead, he was heavily relying on God for guidance.
“I pray to God for wisdom, humility and guidance to be able to steer the affairs of the nation and I am optimistic that the Good Lord will shower his blessings on me to be able to succeed,” he said.
Born at Tarkwa in the Western Region of Ghana on July 21, 1944, Prof Mills hails from Ekumfi Otuam in the Central Region.
He launched a life-long interest in acquiring knowledge at Achimota School, where he obtained his GCE (Advanced Level) in 1963 and attended the University of Ghana, Legon, where he received a bachelor's degree and professional certificate in Law in 1967.
While earning a PhD in Law from the prestigious School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London, Mills was selected as a Fulbright Scholar at the equally prestigious Stanford Law School in the US.
At 27, he was awarded his PhD, after successfully defending his doctoral thesis in the area of taxation and economic development.
Prof Mills's first formal teaching assignment was as a lecturer at the Faculty of Law at Legon, where he spent close to 25 years imparting knowledge, rising from a lecturer to senior lecturer and associate professor.
His contribution to the intellectual development of the country is remarkable, having served also on numerous boards and committees.
During the almost 30 years of teaching and researching, Prof Mills travelled as a visiting lecturer and professor at a number of educational institutions world-wide and presented research papers at symposiums and conferences throughout the world.
Prof Mills, who campaigned on ‘Change’, just like the President-elect of the US, Mr Barack Obama, has more than a dozen publications to his credit, including Taxation of Periodical or Deferred Payments arising from the Sale of Fixed Capital (1974); Exemption of Dividends from Income taxation: A critical Appraisal (1977); Report of the Tax Review Commission, Ghana, parts 1,2&3, (1977) and Ghana's Income Tax Laws and the Investor (an inter-faculty lecture published by the University of Ghana).
His expertise goes well beyond the classroom and is evidenced by the various examiner positions he held with finance-related institutions throughout Ghana (that is, the Institute of Chartered Accountants, the Institute of Bankers, the Ghana Tax Review Commission, etc).
As an advocate for recreation and active sportsman and sports fan, Prof Mills has supported the academic community and the nation at large through his contribution to the Ghana Hockey Association, the National Sports Council of Ghana and the Accra Hearts of Oak Sporting Club. Indeed, he is a keen hockey player and once played for the national team and is still a member of the Veterans hockey team.
He has also chaired the boards of the National Sports Council and Accra Hearts of Oak Sporting Club. As a lover of the pool, he spends close to two hours, when he has the time, swimming as a way of exercising.
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
THE President-elect, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, has pledged his commitment to lead the country as the third President of the Fourth Republic without discrimination against anyone and urged all to get on board.
“I will be a true father for the entire nation and a President for all,” he told hundreds of enthusiastic NDC supporters who had gathered at his campaign office at Kuku Hill, Osu, a few hours after the Electoral Commission (EC) had officially declared him winner of the most keenly contested presidential election in the country’s history.
Hours earlier, the Chairman of the EC, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, had declared Professor Mills the President-elect, after he had won 4,521,032 votes, representing 50.23 per cent of the total valid votes cast, to beat his rival, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), who had 4,480,446, representing 49.77 per cent.
Total valid votes cast were 9,001,478, representing 72.91 per cent of the total number of registered voters of 12,472,758.
Spotting a white short-sleeved linen shirt over a black pair of trousers and a black pair of shoes, the former Vice- President entreated those who harboured fears of discrimination under his reign to disabuse their minds and join him to work for a better Ghana.
Before Prof Mills’s maiden pronouncement as the President-elect, NDC stalwarts and supporters had danced to party songs provided by a giant mobile van placed a few metres away from the specially built stage draped in the national colours to signify the suspension of party politics after a crunch election.
Among the NDC stalwarts were Mr E.T. Mensah, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo Prampram; Mr Elvis Afriyie Ankrah; Mr Fiifi Kwetey, the Propaganda Secretary of the party; Mr Totobi Quakyi, a former Head of National Security under the Rawlings administration, among others.
“It has been a long journey towards this day but, thankfully, we have come to the end of the road,” Prof Mills admitted to spontaneous cheers from his supporters who were clad in all manner of party paraphernalia.
He said the elections were over and so there was no more NDC Ghana or NPP Ghana but one Ghana and urged all to join him to develop the country.
“We are all aware that there were many candidates in the December 7 elections but this was narrowed down to two in the run-off and by the grace of God I have emerged the winner to run the affairs of the state,” he said.
Prof Mills congratulated all contestants in the presidential election, particularly Nana Akufo-Addo, “for giving me a good fight” and expressed the hope that they would all work together for a better Ghana.
He thanked the EC and the security services for their professionalism in the discharge of their respective duties during the activities leading to and during the elections and after.
To his supporters, he said, “You have every reason to celebrate,” but urged caution, saying, “Let us do it in such a manner that it will not provoke anybody.”
Prof Mills said the victory was only a step into the future and indicated that although he had gracefully accepted the challenge ahead, he was heavily relying on God for guidance.
“I pray to God for wisdom, humility and guidance to be able to steer the affairs of the nation and I am optimistic that the Good Lord will shower his blessings on me to be able to succeed,” he said.
Born at Tarkwa in the Western Region of Ghana on July 21, 1944, Prof Mills hails from Ekumfi Otuam in the Central Region.
He launched a life-long interest in acquiring knowledge at Achimota School, where he obtained his GCE (Advanced Level) in 1963 and attended the University of Ghana, Legon, where he received a bachelor's degree and professional certificate in Law in 1967.
While earning a PhD in Law from the prestigious School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London, Mills was selected as a Fulbright Scholar at the equally prestigious Stanford Law School in the US.
At 27, he was awarded his PhD, after successfully defending his doctoral thesis in the area of taxation and economic development.
Prof Mills's first formal teaching assignment was as a lecturer at the Faculty of Law at Legon, where he spent close to 25 years imparting knowledge, rising from a lecturer to senior lecturer and associate professor.
His contribution to the intellectual development of the country is remarkable, having served also on numerous boards and committees.
During the almost 30 years of teaching and researching, Prof Mills travelled as a visiting lecturer and professor at a number of educational institutions world-wide and presented research papers at symposiums and conferences throughout the world.
Prof Mills, who campaigned on ‘Change’, just like the President-elect of the US, Mr Barack Obama, has more than a dozen publications to his credit, including Taxation of Periodical or Deferred Payments arising from the Sale of Fixed Capital (1974); Exemption of Dividends from Income taxation: A critical Appraisal (1977); Report of the Tax Review Commission, Ghana, parts 1,2&3, (1977) and Ghana's Income Tax Laws and the Investor (an inter-faculty lecture published by the University of Ghana).
His expertise goes well beyond the classroom and is evidenced by the various examiner positions he held with finance-related institutions throughout Ghana (that is, the Institute of Chartered Accountants, the Institute of Bankers, the Ghana Tax Review Commission, etc).
As an advocate for recreation and active sportsman and sports fan, Prof Mills has supported the academic community and the nation at large through his contribution to the Ghana Hockey Association, the National Sports Council of Ghana and the Accra Hearts of Oak Sporting Club. Indeed, he is a keen hockey player and once played for the national team and is still a member of the Veterans hockey team.
He has also chaired the boards of the National Sports Council and Accra Hearts of Oak Sporting Club. As a lover of the pool, he spends close to two hours, when he has the time, swimming as a way of exercising.
NDC,NPP voiltateed Public Order Act
Page 3,lead, (Daily Graphic), January 1/2009
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
The Police Administration has accused the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) of violating the Public Order Law by engaging in mass public activities and converging on the offices of the Electoral Commission (EC).
Last Tuesday, supporters of the NDC converged on the Electoral Commission to demonstrate against what they termed as delays in declaring the winner of the presidential run-off between their candidate, Professor J.E.A. Mills, and the candidate of the NPP, Nana Akufo-Addo.
As if to undo the demonstrations of the NDC supporters, the following day (Wednesday, i.e. yesterday) hundreds of NPP supporters also held a similar demonstration at the Electoral Commission to protest the results released by the commission, which put the NDC flag bearer, Prof. Atta Mills, in the lead.
During the NPP’s demonstration yesterday, the Greater Accra Regional Operations Commander, ACP Yohonu, was hit with a stone and rushed to the Police Hospital, where he was admitted.
Commenting on the issue later, the Director of Police Public Affairs, Kwesi Ofori, warned that henceforth the police would deal firmly with all such illegal gatherings and disorder, irrespective of which political party was involved.
He warned the political parties not to turn restricted areas such as the Electoral Commission’s offices into playing fields.
According to the Police Administration, the only people allowed on the premises of the EC were accredited officials with legitimate business to do there.
The police would deal firmly with any group of people who were bent on breaking the laws on public order, Mr Kwasi Ofori of Police Public Affairs Directorate stressed.
During the demonstration, hundreds of supporters of the NPP thronged the premises of the EC to protest against what they perceived as false results released by the commission in favour of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
According to them, the EC had handed the NPP a raw deal by allegedly reducing the figures the party had from the Ashanti Region, its stronghold, in favour of the NDC.
Wielding clubs, sticks, machetes and stones, the supporters including women of all ages and clad in party colours with red bands around their arms and heads, surged at the heavy armed police demanding to enter the EC premises to ‘deal’ with the EC Chairman, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan.
The NDC had the previous day also had their turn on the premises of the EC where they demanded that the EC Chairman should announce the elections without further delay.
Chanting wars songs, the placard-bearing supporters cast insinuations at the EC officials and the NDC, saying “we have won and we will not allow the NDC to rule when they have not won”.
Some of the placards read: “No Volta, No Tain”, “We want Peace”, “No Nana, No President”.
As they surged, the police prevented them and some recalcitrant supporters who would not listen to their leaders present, pelted stones at the police, a situation that forced the police to fire many warning shots.
In the ensuing scuffle, ACP Yohonu was injured as he was hit in the groin with a large stone.
More supporters of the NPP joined and the military had to come in to restore order.
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Sheikh I.C. Quaye, came in to calm tempers but only a few of the agitated supporters listened to him and followed him to his residence.
The Minister of the Interior, Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, also joined but his presence also did very little to get the supporters to retreat.
He asked the security forces to treat the supporters the same way they treated those of the NDC who also held their protests before the pronouncements from the chairman of the commission.
Speaking to the media, Dr Addo-Kufuor said “we are in government and we need to ensure that there is peace”.
“I will want to entreat all supporters to exercise restraint as we await the outcome of any results or negotiations thereof,” he added.
At the time of going to press, the supporters were still on the premises chanting and threatening to sleep over until the EC added all the figures from the Ashanti Region to give the party a win.
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
The Police Administration has accused the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) of violating the Public Order Law by engaging in mass public activities and converging on the offices of the Electoral Commission (EC).
Last Tuesday, supporters of the NDC converged on the Electoral Commission to demonstrate against what they termed as delays in declaring the winner of the presidential run-off between their candidate, Professor J.E.A. Mills, and the candidate of the NPP, Nana Akufo-Addo.
As if to undo the demonstrations of the NDC supporters, the following day (Wednesday, i.e. yesterday) hundreds of NPP supporters also held a similar demonstration at the Electoral Commission to protest the results released by the commission, which put the NDC flag bearer, Prof. Atta Mills, in the lead.
During the NPP’s demonstration yesterday, the Greater Accra Regional Operations Commander, ACP Yohonu, was hit with a stone and rushed to the Police Hospital, where he was admitted.
Commenting on the issue later, the Director of Police Public Affairs, Kwesi Ofori, warned that henceforth the police would deal firmly with all such illegal gatherings and disorder, irrespective of which political party was involved.
He warned the political parties not to turn restricted areas such as the Electoral Commission’s offices into playing fields.
According to the Police Administration, the only people allowed on the premises of the EC were accredited officials with legitimate business to do there.
The police would deal firmly with any group of people who were bent on breaking the laws on public order, Mr Kwasi Ofori of Police Public Affairs Directorate stressed.
During the demonstration, hundreds of supporters of the NPP thronged the premises of the EC to protest against what they perceived as false results released by the commission in favour of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
According to them, the EC had handed the NPP a raw deal by allegedly reducing the figures the party had from the Ashanti Region, its stronghold, in favour of the NDC.
Wielding clubs, sticks, machetes and stones, the supporters including women of all ages and clad in party colours with red bands around their arms and heads, surged at the heavy armed police demanding to enter the EC premises to ‘deal’ with the EC Chairman, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan.
The NDC had the previous day also had their turn on the premises of the EC where they demanded that the EC Chairman should announce the elections without further delay.
Chanting wars songs, the placard-bearing supporters cast insinuations at the EC officials and the NDC, saying “we have won and we will not allow the NDC to rule when they have not won”.
Some of the placards read: “No Volta, No Tain”, “We want Peace”, “No Nana, No President”.
As they surged, the police prevented them and some recalcitrant supporters who would not listen to their leaders present, pelted stones at the police, a situation that forced the police to fire many warning shots.
In the ensuing scuffle, ACP Yohonu was injured as he was hit in the groin with a large stone.
More supporters of the NPP joined and the military had to come in to restore order.
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Sheikh I.C. Quaye, came in to calm tempers but only a few of the agitated supporters listened to him and followed him to his residence.
The Minister of the Interior, Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, also joined but his presence also did very little to get the supporters to retreat.
He asked the security forces to treat the supporters the same way they treated those of the NDC who also held their protests before the pronouncements from the chairman of the commission.
Speaking to the media, Dr Addo-Kufuor said “we are in government and we need to ensure that there is peace”.
“I will want to entreat all supporters to exercise restraint as we await the outcome of any results or negotiations thereof,” he added.
At the time of going to press, the supporters were still on the premises chanting and threatening to sleep over until the EC added all the figures from the Ashanti Region to give the party a win.
EC declares winner today
Front page, lead, (Daily Graphic), December 30/2008
Story: Charles Benoni Okine & Boahene Asamoah
THE battle is not over and Ghanaians will go through yet another presidential election on December 28, 2008 after last Sunday’s elections failed to produce a clear winner.
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, candidate of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), came ahead with 4,159,439 votes, representing 49.13 per cent of the valid votes cast, only 0.97 short of the 50 per cent of the 50 per cent plus votes required by the Constitution.
His closest rival, Professor John Evans Atta Mills of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), had 4,056,634, representing 47.92 per cent.
This is the second time in the Fourth Republic that a presidential election had failed to produce a clear winner in the first round.
In the 2000 presidential election, then candidate John Agyekum Kufuor obtained 3,104,393 votes, representing 48.44 per cent of the 6,408,231 valid votes cast, while Professor Mills, the then Vice-President, polled 2,871,051, representing 44.80 of the total valid votes cast.
The Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, who broke the news at exactly 2.33 p.m. yesterday at a heavily attended news conference in Accra, said the results as announced were from 229 out of the 230 constituencies in the country.
Early on, the various radio and television stations had announced, provisionally, the possibility of a run-off after they had collated results from the various collating points in the constituencies.
According to the EC Chairman, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom of the Conventions People’s Party (CPP) polled 113,494 votes, representing 1.34 per cent, while the People’s National Convention (PNC) polled 73,494, representing 0.87 per cent.
The Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) polled 27,889, representing 0.33 per cent of the valid votes cast, while the only independent candidate in the election had 19,342, representing 0.23 per cent.
The Reformed Patriotic Democrats (RPD) polled 6,889 votes, representing 0.08 per cent.
The total valid votes cast was 8,465,834, while 205,438 of the ballots, representing 2.4 per cent, were rejected for unexplained reasons.
Dr Afari-Gyan said the number of registered voters for this year’s elections stood at 12,472,758, while the results from the Akwatia Constituency, which were in dispute, would be announced at a later date.
While mentioning the electoral results of the presidential candidate of the NDC, Dr Afari-Gyan fumbled slightly, to the uproar of those present at the news conference, who laughed off the error.
“As you can see, I am very tired,” he explained immediately with a broad smile.
Dr Afari-Gyan commended the media for the manner in which they fed the electorate with all the provisional results as they trickled in from the various constituencies, but raised issues with the allegation that the commission had delayed the release of the results.
“We did not delay in the release of the results. We wanted to be fair to all the candidates who had spent a lot of time, energy and I suppose money in their campaigns by coming out with accurate figures,” he explained.
Dr Afari-Gyan said the commission had to check and double check every bit of the results that came in to ensure that what it announced was not in dispute.
Present to listen to the declaration of the much expected results were leading figures of the two biggest parties. From the NPP came Nana Ohene-Ntow, the General Secretary; Mr Kwabena Agyepong, a member of the Nana Akufo-Addo Campaign Team, and Sheikh I.C. Quaye, the Greater Accra Regional Minister and re-elected MP for Ayawaso East.
From the NDC side were the Chairman of the party, Dr Kwabena Adjei; Mr Johnson Asiedu-Nketia, the General Secretary; Mr Rojo Mettle-Nunoo and Squadron Leader Clend Sowu of the Atta Mills campaign team.
Meanwhile, the two leading parties have described as fair the results of the presidential election as announced by the Chairman of the EC.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic immediately after the announcement of the results, Dr Adjei, the National Chairman of the NDC said although the party had been looking forward to a first round victory, it did not happen. However, he quickly described the results as fair.
He said the party would quickly re-organise its machinery for the run-off.
A member of the Nana Akufo-Addo Campaign Team, Mr Kwabena Agyepong, thanked Ghanaians for the show of support for the NPP candidate.
“We intend to carry the lead that the Ghanaian electorate have given to Nana Akufo-Addo to the second round,” hestated.
When asked which of the parties in the run-off the PNC would throw its weight behind, Alhaji Ramadan, its National Chairman, said, “We are going to convene a national executive meeting to take that decision.”
Story: Charles Benoni Okine & Boahene Asamoah
THE battle is not over and Ghanaians will go through yet another presidential election on December 28, 2008 after last Sunday’s elections failed to produce a clear winner.
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, candidate of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), came ahead with 4,159,439 votes, representing 49.13 per cent of the valid votes cast, only 0.97 short of the 50 per cent of the 50 per cent plus votes required by the Constitution.
His closest rival, Professor John Evans Atta Mills of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), had 4,056,634, representing 47.92 per cent.
This is the second time in the Fourth Republic that a presidential election had failed to produce a clear winner in the first round.
In the 2000 presidential election, then candidate John Agyekum Kufuor obtained 3,104,393 votes, representing 48.44 per cent of the 6,408,231 valid votes cast, while Professor Mills, the then Vice-President, polled 2,871,051, representing 44.80 of the total valid votes cast.
The Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, who broke the news at exactly 2.33 p.m. yesterday at a heavily attended news conference in Accra, said the results as announced were from 229 out of the 230 constituencies in the country.
Early on, the various radio and television stations had announced, provisionally, the possibility of a run-off after they had collated results from the various collating points in the constituencies.
According to the EC Chairman, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom of the Conventions People’s Party (CPP) polled 113,494 votes, representing 1.34 per cent, while the People’s National Convention (PNC) polled 73,494, representing 0.87 per cent.
The Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) polled 27,889, representing 0.33 per cent of the valid votes cast, while the only independent candidate in the election had 19,342, representing 0.23 per cent.
The Reformed Patriotic Democrats (RPD) polled 6,889 votes, representing 0.08 per cent.
The total valid votes cast was 8,465,834, while 205,438 of the ballots, representing 2.4 per cent, were rejected for unexplained reasons.
Dr Afari-Gyan said the number of registered voters for this year’s elections stood at 12,472,758, while the results from the Akwatia Constituency, which were in dispute, would be announced at a later date.
While mentioning the electoral results of the presidential candidate of the NDC, Dr Afari-Gyan fumbled slightly, to the uproar of those present at the news conference, who laughed off the error.
“As you can see, I am very tired,” he explained immediately with a broad smile.
Dr Afari-Gyan commended the media for the manner in which they fed the electorate with all the provisional results as they trickled in from the various constituencies, but raised issues with the allegation that the commission had delayed the release of the results.
“We did not delay in the release of the results. We wanted to be fair to all the candidates who had spent a lot of time, energy and I suppose money in their campaigns by coming out with accurate figures,” he explained.
Dr Afari-Gyan said the commission had to check and double check every bit of the results that came in to ensure that what it announced was not in dispute.
Present to listen to the declaration of the much expected results were leading figures of the two biggest parties. From the NPP came Nana Ohene-Ntow, the General Secretary; Mr Kwabena Agyepong, a member of the Nana Akufo-Addo Campaign Team, and Sheikh I.C. Quaye, the Greater Accra Regional Minister and re-elected MP for Ayawaso East.
From the NDC side were the Chairman of the party, Dr Kwabena Adjei; Mr Johnson Asiedu-Nketia, the General Secretary; Mr Rojo Mettle-Nunoo and Squadron Leader Clend Sowu of the Atta Mills campaign team.
Meanwhile, the two leading parties have described as fair the results of the presidential election as announced by the Chairman of the EC.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic immediately after the announcement of the results, Dr Adjei, the National Chairman of the NDC said although the party had been looking forward to a first round victory, it did not happen. However, he quickly described the results as fair.
He said the party would quickly re-organise its machinery for the run-off.
A member of the Nana Akufo-Addo Campaign Team, Mr Kwabena Agyepong, thanked Ghanaians for the show of support for the NPP candidate.
“We intend to carry the lead that the Ghanaian electorate have given to Nana Akufo-Addo to the second round,” hestated.
When asked which of the parties in the run-off the PNC would throw its weight behind, Alhaji Ramadan, its National Chairman, said, “We are going to convene a national executive meeting to take that decision.”
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Govt approves US$100m funding
Back Page, lead, (Daily Graphic), December 24, 2008
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
THE government has approved $100 million to revamp the agricultural sector in the three northern regions.
The money will be used for the acquisition of tractors and other agricultural equipment, as well as seedlings, for farmers in the three regions to enable them to cultivate crops in large quantities for export and local consumption.
The Vice-President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, announced this when he met the chiefs and people of Tumu in the Upper West Region.
His visit formed part of a campaign tour to whip up support for the presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
He said the government appreciated the concerns of the people of the northern regions and was prepared to assist them in any way possible to alleviate poverty.
Alhaji Mahama, who was met on arrival in the town by an enthusiastic crowd of party supporters, said, “We know your problems and we have, since 2001, been working hard to ensure that we bridge the gap between the north and the south by bringing development to the people of the three regions.”
The Vice-President said the achievements of President Kufuor in the northern regions were evident and that Nana Akufo-Addo would help accelerate the development process there, adding that Nana Akufo-Addo had promised to set up a $1 billion Northern Development Fund when voted into power and asked the people not to miss the opportunity.
He said apart from the fund, the government, when maintained in power, would also devote funds from the Consolidated Fund to support the development projects needed to transform the northern regions.
At Sandema, the Vice-President called on the paramount chief and party supporters who had gathered at a mini rally to hear the message of the ruling government.
He told the people that the school feeding programme would be extended nation-wide should Nana Akufo-Addo be voted into power.
Alhaji Mahama said the government had also sourced funds to build a mini dam at Pwalugu to provide electricity for most parts of the north.
He said the NPP had learnt its lessons and expressed the hope that those mistakes would not be committed in the run-off.
The Vice-President, who will return to Accra on Saturday, December 27, will visit the Nadowli East, Wa East, Sawla and Damongo constituencies and move to the Volta Region, where he will pay courtesy calls on chiefs in Krachi, Nkwanta, Hohoe and Sogakope.
December 24/2008
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
THE government has approved $100 million to revamp the agricultural sector in the three northern regions.
The money will be used for the acquisition of tractors and other agricultural equipment, as well as seedlings, for farmers in the three regions to enable them to cultivate crops in large quantities for export and local consumption.
The Vice-President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, announced this when he met the chiefs and people of Tumu in the Upper West Region.
His visit formed part of a campaign tour to whip up support for the presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
He said the government appreciated the concerns of the people of the northern regions and was prepared to assist them in any way possible to alleviate poverty.
Alhaji Mahama, who was met on arrival in the town by an enthusiastic crowd of party supporters, said, “We know your problems and we have, since 2001, been working hard to ensure that we bridge the gap between the north and the south by bringing development to the people of the three regions.”
The Vice-President said the achievements of President Kufuor in the northern regions were evident and that Nana Akufo-Addo would help accelerate the development process there, adding that Nana Akufo-Addo had promised to set up a $1 billion Northern Development Fund when voted into power and asked the people not to miss the opportunity.
He said apart from the fund, the government, when maintained in power, would also devote funds from the Consolidated Fund to support the development projects needed to transform the northern regions.
At Sandema, the Vice-President called on the paramount chief and party supporters who had gathered at a mini rally to hear the message of the ruling government.
He told the people that the school feeding programme would be extended nation-wide should Nana Akufo-Addo be voted into power.
Alhaji Mahama said the government had also sourced funds to build a mini dam at Pwalugu to provide electricity for most parts of the north.
He said the NPP had learnt its lessons and expressed the hope that those mistakes would not be committed in the run-off.
The Vice-President, who will return to Accra on Saturday, December 27, will visit the Nadowli East, Wa East, Sawla and Damongo constituencies and move to the Volta Region, where he will pay courtesy calls on chiefs in Krachi, Nkwanta, Hohoe and Sogakope.
December 24/2008
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