Mr Mark Woyongo, the Minister of Interior, has proposed a five – year presidential tenure of office for the country to ensure that the winning party fully executes its development agenda.
Mr Woyongo, also the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Navrongo Central, made the proposal in an interview with the GNA after his return from Burkina Faso where in had gone to witness the swearing-in of Mr Roch Marc Christian Kabore , the new president.
“The five years period for the tenure of office of the Presidency will be very ideal for Ghana. There is the need to review the constitutional provision to create a room for that, just like our neigbouring country Burkina Faso which has five years under its constitutional provision for her tenure of the Presidency”, the Interior Minister proposed.
The ceremony in Ouagadougou attracted about 5,000 people and various heads of states from Benin, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger and Senegal.
Mr Woyongo argued that with the four year period for the Presidential tenure of office in Ghana, it would be very difficult for any political party who emerges as winner to execute all planned development agenda.
He said in the last elections for instance, the initial year was spent in battling the election problem in court leaving only three years for the National Democratic Congress government to execute its agenda.
Mr Woyongo said quite often too, the government in power under the four-year tenure system was not able to focus adequately in the fourth year as it is an election year and has to campaign.
Source: GNA:
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Congo Republic: Presidential election to happen early 2016
(Reuters) - Congo Republic's President Denis Sassou Nguesso said on Tuesday that he would call an election sometime in the first quarter of next year, several months ahead of schedule.
Sassou Nguesso, who has ruled Congo for 31 of the last 36 years, is widely expected to seek a third consecutive mandate in 2016 after winning an October referendum on changes to the constitution that legalise his candidacy.
He did not mention his intentions in the Tuesday speech before parliament.
"The council of ministers will call on the electoral body earlier than expected so that the presidential election can take place during the first quarter of 2016," President Sassou Nguesso told lawmakers.
The election was previously set to take place in July.
Congo Republic's opposition called street protests last year ahead of the referendum in which at least four people were shot dead by security forces, prompting criticism from rights groups.
But since Sassou Nguesso's victory, they have struggled to create a united front.
Christoph Wille, senior analyst for Africa at consultancy Control Risks, said the election's timing was aimed at giving a strategic advantage to the ruling Congolese Labour Party (PCT).
"They hope to rush through the process and probably announce the exact date very last minute so the opposition does not have time to gain momentum," he said.
Several other African presidents such as Burkina Faso's Blaise Compaore and Rwanda's Paul Kagame have also sought to prolong their grip on power by reforming their own laws.
(Reporting by Philon Severin Bondenga; Writing by Emma Farge; Editing by Joe Bavier)
Sassou Nguesso, who has ruled Congo for 31 of the last 36 years, is widely expected to seek a third consecutive mandate in 2016 after winning an October referendum on changes to the constitution that legalise his candidacy.
He did not mention his intentions in the Tuesday speech before parliament.
"The council of ministers will call on the electoral body earlier than expected so that the presidential election can take place during the first quarter of 2016," President Sassou Nguesso told lawmakers.
The election was previously set to take place in July.
Congo Republic's opposition called street protests last year ahead of the referendum in which at least four people were shot dead by security forces, prompting criticism from rights groups.
But since Sassou Nguesso's victory, they have struggled to create a united front.
Christoph Wille, senior analyst for Africa at consultancy Control Risks, said the election's timing was aimed at giving a strategic advantage to the ruling Congolese Labour Party (PCT).
"They hope to rush through the process and probably announce the exact date very last minute so the opposition does not have time to gain momentum," he said.
Several other African presidents such as Burkina Faso's Blaise Compaore and Rwanda's Paul Kagame have also sought to prolong their grip on power by reforming their own laws.
(Reporting by Philon Severin Bondenga; Writing by Emma Farge; Editing by Joe Bavier)
Monday, January 4, 2016
Rwanda: US disappointed With Kagame's hird term bid
The US government has said it is "deeply disappointed" with Rwandan President Paul Kagame's decision to run for a third term in office. Kagame has maintained that the Rwandan people want him to continue his rule.
The United States expressed dissatisfaction on Saturday with Rwandan President Paul Kagame's intention to run for a third presidential term.
"President Kagame ignores a historic opportunity to reinforce and solidify the democratic institutions," State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement. "Constitutional transitions of power are essential for strong democracies, and ... efforts by incumbents to change rules to stay in power weaken democratic institutions."
Voters in the country approved changes to the constitution on December 18 in a referendum vote. The vote allows Kagame to run for a seven-year term in 2017 and two consecutive five-year terms thereafter, meaning he could remain in power until 2034.
Despite supporting Kagame's first two terms in office, in which he won with some 90 percent of ballots in 2003 and 2010, the US said he should step down in 2017.
"As Rwanda moves toward ... presidential elections next year ... we call upon the government of Rwanda to ensure and respect the rights of its citizens to exercise their freedom of expression, conscience, and peaceful assembly - the hallmarks of true democracies," Kirby said.
Massive approval
However, Kagame has maintained that the Rwandan people want him to continue his rule in office.
"What is happening is people's choice. Ask people why they want it," he said after the referendum vote.
"You have asked me to lead the country after 2017. Given the importance you ascribe to this matter, I can only accept," he said in a televised New Year address.
The move to change Rwanda's constitution was prompted by a petition signed by more than 3.7 million people.
Shay Meinecke (AFP)
The United States expressed dissatisfaction on Saturday with Rwandan President Paul Kagame's intention to run for a third presidential term.
"President Kagame ignores a historic opportunity to reinforce and solidify the democratic institutions," State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement. "Constitutional transitions of power are essential for strong democracies, and ... efforts by incumbents to change rules to stay in power weaken democratic institutions."
Voters in the country approved changes to the constitution on December 18 in a referendum vote. The vote allows Kagame to run for a seven-year term in 2017 and two consecutive five-year terms thereafter, meaning he could remain in power until 2034.
Despite supporting Kagame's first two terms in office, in which he won with some 90 percent of ballots in 2003 and 2010, the US said he should step down in 2017.
"As Rwanda moves toward ... presidential elections next year ... we call upon the government of Rwanda to ensure and respect the rights of its citizens to exercise their freedom of expression, conscience, and peaceful assembly - the hallmarks of true democracies," Kirby said.
Massive approval
However, Kagame has maintained that the Rwandan people want him to continue his rule in office.
"What is happening is people's choice. Ask people why they want it," he said after the referendum vote.
"You have asked me to lead the country after 2017. Given the importance you ascribe to this matter, I can only accept," he said in a televised New Year address.
The move to change Rwanda's constitution was prompted by a petition signed by more than 3.7 million people.
Shay Meinecke (AFP)
Central African Republic: Ex-PM leads in presidential race
(Reuters) - A former prime minister of Central African Republic held a slim lead in a presidential election many voters hope will end years of violence between Muslims and Christians, initial results showed on Saturday.
With all votes from the capital counted, the National Election Authority said Faustin Archange Touadera, prime minister from 2008 to 2013, had 30,999 votes followed by another former prime minister, Anicet Georges Dologuele, with 28,162.
Mainly Muslim rebels from a group called the Seleka seized power in the majority Christian nation in early 2013, forcing President Francois Bozize to flee and provoking reprisals from Christian anti-balaka militias.
Leaders have since fueled a cycle of religious and inter-communal violence that has killed thousands and forced a fifth of the country's five million people to flee their homes.
Authorities repeatedly delayed Wednesday's election, not least due to violence in the capital Bangui in September, and the new president will face the challenge of disarming militias and convincing their leaders to cede territory.
The Seleka withdrew from Bangui after their leader Michel Djotodia stepped down from the presidency in 2014 and the group's factions have entrenched themselves in the northeast, leaving the country effectively partitioned.
Thirty candidates are competing in the presidential election, which is seen as key for a transition to democracy. All the seats in the National Assembly seats are also being contested.
Bilal Nzanga-Kolingba, son of a former president, was third with 25,055 votes while Jean Serge Bokassa, son of former dictator Jean-Bedel Bokassa had 10,672.
A third former prime minister Martin Ziguele was fifth with 9,946 votes, the electoral authority's spokesman Julius Ngouade Baba told a news conference, adding that the national turnout was 72.2 percent.
Interim President Catherine Samba-Panza, who has held office since May 2014, is barred from standing.
It was unclear whether Bangui's results represented national sentiment. A second round will be held on Jan. 31 if needed.
The country's economy is struggling, with uranium deposits undeveloped, the cotton sector in trouble and gold and diamond mines under the control of militias.
(Additional reporting by Michelle Nichols at the United Nations; writing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg; editing by David Clarke)
With all votes from the capital counted, the National Election Authority said Faustin Archange Touadera, prime minister from 2008 to 2013, had 30,999 votes followed by another former prime minister, Anicet Georges Dologuele, with 28,162.
Mainly Muslim rebels from a group called the Seleka seized power in the majority Christian nation in early 2013, forcing President Francois Bozize to flee and provoking reprisals from Christian anti-balaka militias.
Leaders have since fueled a cycle of religious and inter-communal violence that has killed thousands and forced a fifth of the country's five million people to flee their homes.
Authorities repeatedly delayed Wednesday's election, not least due to violence in the capital Bangui in September, and the new president will face the challenge of disarming militias and convincing their leaders to cede territory.
The Seleka withdrew from Bangui after their leader Michel Djotodia stepped down from the presidency in 2014 and the group's factions have entrenched themselves in the northeast, leaving the country effectively partitioned.
Thirty candidates are competing in the presidential election, which is seen as key for a transition to democracy. All the seats in the National Assembly seats are also being contested.
Bilal Nzanga-Kolingba, son of a former president, was third with 25,055 votes while Jean Serge Bokassa, son of former dictator Jean-Bedel Bokassa had 10,672.
A third former prime minister Martin Ziguele was fifth with 9,946 votes, the electoral authority's spokesman Julius Ngouade Baba told a news conference, adding that the national turnout was 72.2 percent.
Interim President Catherine Samba-Panza, who has held office since May 2014, is barred from standing.
It was unclear whether Bangui's results represented national sentiment. A second round will be held on Jan. 31 if needed.
The country's economy is struggling, with uranium deposits undeveloped, the cotton sector in trouble and gold and diamond mines under the control of militias.
(Additional reporting by Michelle Nichols at the United Nations; writing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg; editing by David Clarke)
Ghana: EC defends decision to keep names of alleged Togo nationals
The Electoral Commission (EC) says the New Patriotic Party’s push for removal of over 76,000 names of alleged Togolese nationals from the electoral roll would be inappropriate.
The EC says it would be “an arbitrary and discriminatory application of the law”, if the NPP's request is granted.
The EC says, “in examining the identity and status of the 76,000 Togolese alleged to be on Ghana’s Register, the EC found that they were all duly registered during the mass registration period in 2012.”
The opposition party has been courting the support of other political parties and civil societies for a new register ahead of elections later this year.
The party says the current electoral roll lacks credibility, citing a deliberate inclusion of aliens in the register.
The removal of the alleged 76,000 alleged foreign nationals was a key point in the NPP’s push for a new voters’ register.
The EC holds that the NPP did not provide any proof of the citizenship status of the alleged foreign nationals and did not show any proof that they were not entitled to be registered in Ghana.
The EC’s response was contained in 33-page document written to the NPP.
“From the document presented by the NPP, the commission was unable to confirm the authenticity of the Togolese Register used by the NPP in their analysis as the Electoral Commission of Togo declined to provide the EC with a copy of its register or confirm the authenticity of the soft copy of the register used by the NPP.
“Seeking to remove names of persons who appear on the registers of Togo, Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire in the EC’s view, would be an arbitrary and discriminatory application of the law. The EC asks, would the Commission therefore be required to obtain the registers of all countries of the world and remove the names of persons who appear on such registers as well as Ghana’s?” the EC quizzed.
The opposition party also raised a Supreme Court ruling on the use of National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) cards for registration and called for the removal of persons who have been registered with the card from the register.
However, the EC says the party is misinterpreting the Supreme Court ruling.
According to the EC, in the Abu Ramadan case, the Supreme Court ruled that the use of NHIA cards, in their current form, was insufficient as proof of citizenship and consequently.
The EC says it was directed to stop accepting that as proof of citizenship for voter registration exercises.
“Nowhere in the ruling did the Supreme court nullify all registrations by voters who presented NHIA cards as proof of Citizenship,” the EC says.
On NPP's claims that there were edited pictures on the current electoral register, the EC holds that claim is unfounded.
According to EC, the Biometric Register has multiple layers of data protection and integrity assurance and does not permit the possibility of pictures on the register being edited.
“The consultant’s report on the Independent Review of the Biometric Voters Register also supports the position that this is not possible and that the system has adequate integrity and has not been compromised. We would be happy to share the consultant’s report with the NPP,” the elections ombudsman said.
Source: myjoyonline
The EC says it would be “an arbitrary and discriminatory application of the law”, if the NPP's request is granted.
The EC says, “in examining the identity and status of the 76,000 Togolese alleged to be on Ghana’s Register, the EC found that they were all duly registered during the mass registration period in 2012.”
The opposition party has been courting the support of other political parties and civil societies for a new register ahead of elections later this year.
The party says the current electoral roll lacks credibility, citing a deliberate inclusion of aliens in the register.
The removal of the alleged 76,000 alleged foreign nationals was a key point in the NPP’s push for a new voters’ register.
The EC holds that the NPP did not provide any proof of the citizenship status of the alleged foreign nationals and did not show any proof that they were not entitled to be registered in Ghana.
The EC’s response was contained in 33-page document written to the NPP.
“From the document presented by the NPP, the commission was unable to confirm the authenticity of the Togolese Register used by the NPP in their analysis as the Electoral Commission of Togo declined to provide the EC with a copy of its register or confirm the authenticity of the soft copy of the register used by the NPP.
“Seeking to remove names of persons who appear on the registers of Togo, Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire in the EC’s view, would be an arbitrary and discriminatory application of the law. The EC asks, would the Commission therefore be required to obtain the registers of all countries of the world and remove the names of persons who appear on such registers as well as Ghana’s?” the EC quizzed.
The opposition party also raised a Supreme Court ruling on the use of National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) cards for registration and called for the removal of persons who have been registered with the card from the register.
However, the EC says the party is misinterpreting the Supreme Court ruling.
According to the EC, in the Abu Ramadan case, the Supreme Court ruled that the use of NHIA cards, in their current form, was insufficient as proof of citizenship and consequently.
The EC says it was directed to stop accepting that as proof of citizenship for voter registration exercises.
“Nowhere in the ruling did the Supreme court nullify all registrations by voters who presented NHIA cards as proof of Citizenship,” the EC says.
On NPP's claims that there were edited pictures on the current electoral register, the EC holds that claim is unfounded.
According to EC, the Biometric Register has multiple layers of data protection and integrity assurance and does not permit the possibility of pictures on the register being edited.
“The consultant’s report on the Independent Review of the Biometric Voters Register also supports the position that this is not possible and that the system has adequate integrity and has not been compromised. We would be happy to share the consultant’s report with the NPP,” the elections ombudsman said.
Source: myjoyonline
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