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NPP, NDC set up machineries to resist
intimidation
Accra, Aug. 5, Ghanadot/GNA – The
ruling New Patriotic Party and the main opposition National
Democratic Congress (NDC) on Tuesday set-out to resist any
intimidation and violence directed at their supporters.
Whilst the NPP says, as an incumbent party, they will employ
all legitimate means to deal with any such acts of
lawlessness and intimidation coming from any quarters, the
NDC on the other hand asks it supporters nationwide to also
use all legitimate means to resist any attempt to oppress
them.
In separate statements made available to the Ghana News
Agency in Accra signed by Nana Ohene Ntow, NPP General
Secretary and Mr Koku Anyidoho, Head, of NDC Election 2008
Campaign Team the two leading parties accused each other of
perpetrating the violence and intimidation.
The NDC explained that posture was in the wake of the
plethora of facts that have reached the Office of its Flag
bearer and former Vice President Professor John Evans Atta
Mills, regarding the untoward acts characterizing the
on-going registration exercise.
The NDC therefore urged its supporters to steadfastly hold
on to the words of the national anthem and resist all forms
of oppression that will come their way from the NPP and its
operatives.
“We are commending our foot soldiers and well-meaning
Ghanaians who have so far resisted the oppressive acts of
the NPP and its agents, and we assure them that they have
the full backing of the Leader of the NDC to continue to be
valiant and resilient in making sure that the NPP does not
turn our democracy on its head,” the statement said.
The statement said the NDC is very much aware of the extent
to which the NPP, in its desperate attempt to hang on to
power by any means possible, in view of the strong clamour
for change and a “Better Ghana” by majority of Ghanaians, is
abusing the nation’s democratic dispensation.
“We are aware of the bus loads of NPP people who have moved
to NDC strongholds like the Atti Mokwa constituency in the
Central Region, as well as Ejura Sekyeredumase and New
Edubiase in the Ashanti Region, to go and register there in
an attempt to up the NPP’s numbers in those areas.
“We are also aware of bus loads of people who entered Elubo
from Cote d’Ivoire to be registered but were prevented from
doing so by vigilant NDC foot soldiers.
“We are also aware of the way settlers in the Atti Mokwa
constituency and some other constituencies are being
harassed and being prevented from registering,” the NDC
stated.
Other areas the NDC alleged the NPP was intimidating or
tampering with the registration processes are Agona, in the
Ahanta West constituency, South Tongu constituency as well
as a number of constituencies, where it claimed people are
being prevented from registering with the excuse that the
cameras are not functioning properly.
“Indeed, nationwide, stories abound, with facts, as the
desperate attempts by the NPP to get minors and
non-Ghanaians to have their names on the voters register,”
according to the NDC, has reached unacceptable heights.
The NDC also alleged that that NPP had unleashed its
operatives in the Central Region to populate the register
with people who neither hail from the place nor live there.
The NDC therefore called on the Religious Bodies and Civil
Society Organization to speak out and condemn all
unacceptable electoral acts; “no matter which angle it is
emanating from, before it is too late”.
The party claimed that there is ample evidence that Ghana’s
democracy is being raped and abused and it must not be
allowed to continue because what is happening is a recipe
for chaos.
The NPP General Secretary Nana Ohene Ntow, on the other hand
said the party has been confronted with some worrying trend
to prevent minors from registration; “as on a number of
occasions, when our party agents at some registration
centres attempted to collect challenge forms in order to get
clarification on the age or citizenship of some prospective
voters, agents, officials and some members of NDC openly
confronted our agents and officials.
“NDC operatives confronted our officials from challenging
the citizenship of people who could not speak any Ghanaian
language nor had residence in the constituency, but had been
brought for registration,” Nana Ohene Ntow stated.
Some of the places includes; Osei Kwadwokrom, Yametwa, Kaase
all in the Bia Constituency of the Western Region, Tamale in
the Northern Region, Ketu South, Anlo, Ho West and East in
the Volta Region and in several other centres nationwide.
Nana Ohene Ntow said: “We have reports of the NDC organizing
and supervising the registration of minors, sometimes under
the circumstances of indifference or apparent weakness on
the part of the registration officials.”
The NPP noted that its concern about the violence act which
is charactering the registration exercise in certain places.
Nana Ohene Ntow said: “Even more serious concern is the fact
that such violence was being orchestrated by the NDC in
places they considers as NPP strongholds.”
The NPP said it takes particular exception to the NDC’s
penchant for violence and intimidation of their political
opponents…,”we want to send a strong signal to the NDC that
while we as the incumbent party will continue to observe the
rules of the game and respect the rule of law, we will not
countenance any intimidation and violence directed at our
supporters.”
The NPP called on the security agencies and the EC to
thoroughly investigate any complaints, irrespective of
whoever is making them with the view to establishing the
facts and take appropriate actions in order to protect the
integrity of the whole electoral process.
GNA
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