Thursday, December 1, 2016

Uphold Ghana's democracy on December 7 ... Kofi Annan, JJ urge voters

With less than a week to the December 7, 2016 general elections, issues of missing names in the ‘special voters’ register to be used for the special voting today and the bribery allegations against the incumbent National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) presidential candidate by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) dominated the headlines of various news media for today.

Daily Graphic has the captionUphold Ghana’s democracy    on December 7…. Kofi Annan, JJ urge voters”According to the paper two  of Ghana’s  global  icons  have enjoined all Ghanaians  to  uphold  the democratic  credentials  of  the  country  when  they cast  their  ballots on Wednesday , December 7, 2016. A former UN Secretary General Mr. Kofi Annan and a former President of the Republic. Flt Lt  Jerry  John Rawlings in statements ahead  of the country’s  presidential and parliamentary  elections acknowledged   some  challenged in the past but  expressed the conviction  that once  again  Ghanaians  would conduct  successful polls. According  to Mr. Annan, ‘’As Ghanaians, we all know that our  country’s much  vaunted democratic  reputation  has been at risk  before, but  we have  always  pulled back  from  the brink in time  to preserve peace, stability and  prosperity.

Today, Daily Guide and the Ghanaian Times carry the headlineMedia, Security Persons Vote-In Special Voting”. According to these papers,  in spite of the initial confusion that ensued over the number of people cleared to vote through special voting, journalists, security agencies and some essential service providers will today vote ahead of the December 7, polls. While the Electoral Commission (EC) insisted only 65,001 people have been approved to vote today, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) said the list which they received from the commission suggested that about 114,000 people will vote under the special voting arrangement.

The Daily Post  also carries the headline We’ll deal with NPP’s allegations in Court –Bawa Mogtari The  governing  National Democratic  Congress (NDC) is threatening  to sue  the New  Patriotic Party over  the Bugri Naabu bribery allegation  against  President  Mahama and his brother  Ibrahim. The NPP on Tuesday claimed President Mahama bribed its Northern Regional Chairman, Bugri Naabu to engage in a smear campaign targeted at the NPP’s presidential candidate Nana Akufo-Addo. But  speaking to Winston Amoah  host  of 3FM  Sunrise show  spokesperson  of    the  NDC  2016  campaign  team, Joyce Bawa Mogtari, discredited the NPP’s claim as  more propaganda to tarnish the  works  of President  Mahama who is  seeking re-election.

The Ghanaian Times with the headlineDon’t Take Pictures of Ballots”, says that the police has warned voters to desist from taking pictures of their thumb printed ballots and making them public. The act, according to the police, constitutes a serious offence and anybody caught will be severely dealt with. “voting is a secrete and it must remain as such irrespective of one’s affiliation to a particular person or party,” the Director-General of Police Operations, Commissioner of Police (COP) Christian Tetteh Yohuno, gave the warning in an interview with The Ghanaian Times in Accra yesterday.

We conclude today’s newspaper review with the headline in the New Crusading Guide I Will Deliver Ghana…From Poverty- Nana Assures Asanteman”. The Presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo has reiterated his and the party’s commitment to expand Ghana’s economy by setting up and fulfilling the policy goals set out for implementations. According to him, NPP government will not over burden Ghanaians with high tariffs. However, his government will reduce the existing taxes to help companies increase revenue and employment.


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