General News of Tuesday, 14 November 2000

Source: GNA

NDC, NPP Clash in Alajo-Accra

ABOUT eight people sustained various degrees of injuries when supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) clashed at Alajo, a suburb of Accra, last Sunday evening.

Most of the injured, who were said to be receiving medical treatment at the time the Graphic visited the scene, were said to be NDC supporters.

The Ayawaso Central Constituency office of the NDC was also vandalised.

So far, no arrests have been made, but armed policemen have been stationed in the vicinity.

When contacted on the issue, both sides refused to give details of the clash with the explanation that they would organise press conferences later in the day to brief the public.

A member of the NDC, however, hinted that a political argument between supporters of the two parties in a house just behind that of Sheikh I. C. Quaye, the NPP MP for the Ayawaso Central Constituency, degenerated into a free-for-all fight.

He claimed the NPP members had the upper hand and chased the NDC supporters to their constituency office where they beat up the people there and destroyed valuable office equipment.

An NPP official, on the other hand, refuted that allegation and alleged that it was rather the NDC group, led by some of its constituency executives, which first flew the kite by stoning the residence of Sheikh Quaye after destroying NPP posters in the area including portraits of the party’s presidential candidate.

He said that incensed, the NPP supporters who chased the NDC members to their constituency office where the actual fighting took place.

According to him, three NPP members sustained injuries mainly from cutlass wounds.

At the Tesano District Police Headquarters, a man said to be the commander, who refused to mention his name, confirmed the story and said so far, only the NDC has reported the attack and that five injured supporters also called at the police station.

He declined to give further details, adding that the matter is being investigated.