....PNC fails to win

The leader of the People’s National Convention, Dr. Edward Mahama has threatened to resign if the party’s candidate David Scott Pwamang fails to win the Navrongo Central by elections, reports Kwesi Wrekon Obeng.

Dr Mahama told excited supporters at a rally in Navrongo that PNC have overwhelming support and should win the seat, declared vacant by the unfortunate death, through motor accident of John Achuliwor.

PNC’s platform is generating a lot of excitement because the campaign is focused on the high cost of fuel and the poor tomato harvest this season in the Tono area, which comes under the Navrongo Central constituency.

Tomatoes planted during the last crop season were attacked by what agricultural officers have described as a “strange” disease. The crops simply withered when they had to flower.

The NDC’s campaign is not too different from the PNC’s. They have shed light on why the people are still facing economic difficulties by accusing the government of mismanagement. The NDC is pledging to reduce fuel prices if given the chance.

The DPP candidate, the only woman in the contest is Grace Bagonia. She is a teacher in Paga. Bagonia’s coloured posters are well distributed but many who spoke to this paper said they did not know her.

The NPP had flooded the constituency especially Navrongo with party marked vehicles, activists and paraphernalia. Within 30 minutes 10 NPP marked Nissan, Toyota and Isuzu pick-ups were counted in Navrongo on Friday afternoon. Navrongo is generally not a sleepy district capital but the burial of the late MP for the area, the impending by-election and the massive presence of the top hierarchy of all the political parties contesting the Navrongo Central seat have heightened tension.

On Friday people went about their normal duties while some people as party activits worked on them.

The NDC chairman, Dr. Obed Asamoah, Dr. Josiah Aryeh, National Youth Organiser and other national leaders of the party have been working on potential voters in areas where they perceive the NPP and PNC to be weaker - rural areas - just as Jake Obetsebe-Lamptey, Presidential and Information Minister, Dan Botwe, NPP general secretary and Lord Commey NPP National Organiser have been trying to secure their strongholds.

While the PNC cannot match the NPP in terms of resources as indicated by the pool of vehicles and campaigners from Accra and the other regions, the PNC has an ardent following.

Indeed, the Navrongo Central has traditionally been a pro-PNC constituency. Until the late Achuliwor defected to the NPP in 2000 he was a staunch PNC member. The dust from the campaigns won’t settle until Tuesday evening but until then the parties are not leaving anything to chance..

What the by-election scorecard will look like after March 25, 2003 is anybody’s guess.

Since 1992, incumbents have always won by-elections except the staggering performance put up by the NPP in 1999 to retain its Ablekuma Central seat after the death of C.S. Crabbe. Tuesday’s by-election in Navrongo Central will be the ninth since Ghana went constitutionally democratic again in 1992.

From the Electoral Commission data, the Navrongo Central constituency has recorded some of the closest parliamentary races ever under this constitution. During the July 4, 1995 by-election in John Achuliwor then an independent candidate beat Clement Bugase (he is contesting Tuesday’s by-election) by a mere two (2%) per cent.

In 1996 Achuliwor stood again as an independent candidate but was beaten by Bugase by less than three per cent of total votes cast.

In the ding-dong battle Achuliwor defeated Bugase again in the 2000 elections but the slimmest margin ever - a mere point six (0.6%) per cent. The absolute figures were 11,246 votes (41.5%) went to Achuliwor and Bugase picked 11,103 (40.9%).

The first by-election under this constitution was held at New Edubiase in Ashanti on September 30, 1992.

The others in order of occurrence are: The Wenchi East by-election held on January 13, 1995 in which Hayford Osei Kwadjo of the NDC won. The opposition parties boycotted that election because of alleged rigging by the then NDC government.

On February 7, 1995 the NDC’s Nana Kwarteng won a by-election held in Tano South. Here again the opposition boycotted it. The NPP retained its Ablekuma Central seat after defeating the NDC in a fierce context in which the National Reform Party backed an independent candidate.

On May 25, 1999 the NDC won the Lambushie seat. The NPP won the Kumawu by-election on October 1st, 2002. and lastly the Wulensi seat on March 4, this year.

Except the Bimbilla seat which Dr. Ibn Chambas vacated on March 14, 2002 to take up the post of ECOWAS secretary general, the rest were held because of the death of incumbent MPs.

From the records incumbents tend to win by-elections - presently the NPP has won all three by-elections organized since they came to power. But it remains to be seen whether the other parties can break the jinks.