General News of Sunday, 28 December 2008

Source: GNA

NDC alleges gross irregularities in run-off

Accra, Dec. 28, GNA - The National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Sunday said it had more than compelling evidence across the length and breadth of the country that all was not well with the election process, especially in the Ashanti Region and parts of the Eastern Region.

In a statement signed by Mr Alex Segbefia, Campaignn Coordinator, the NDC said for a considerable period, the party had made requests to the Electoral Commission (EC) regarding figures relating to proxy list, transfer list, absentee list and special or early voting list from the Electoral Commission, but had not received them.

"We saw an abuse of the special voting in Ashanti Region barely five days ago. Now the proxy voting is being abused," it said. "Widespread intimidation, harassment, assaults and arrests of polling agents and NDC functionaries are rife and commonplace in the Ashanti Region.

"The current position and state of affairs in Ashanti Region and parts of Eastern Region will make it difficult for figures from these Regions to be accepted by the NDC, especially since in many polling stations, our polling agents were not permitted by the electoral and security officers to participate in the vetting of voters for purposes of authentication, and many polling stations are no longer being manned by the NDC polling agents due to harassment, intimidation and assaults from NPP supporters and in some instances, security personnel."

The NDC said: "This unacceptable situation has reached alarming proportions as a number of NDC agents and supporters are either on admission in hospitals in the Ashanti Region, or are receiving treatment, with others languishing in police station cells.

"We warned the country about what the NPP was planning. Now the warning has become a reality.

"The world is watching us and currently, we are failing ourselves as Ghanaians based on developments in Ashanti and Eastern Regions."