Editorial News of Monday, 26 July 1999

Source: --

The Ghanaian Chronicle

Court foils NDC Rigging Plan

The paper flashes a banner headline "Court foils NDC Rigging Plan". According to the paper, a move by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to influence the Electoral Commission (EC) on the impending rebellion against Nana Akwasi Agyeman, Chief Executive, Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (K.M.A) has back fired.

According to the paper a hastily convened meeting scheduled for last Friday, to vote in favour of the KMA Chief Executive was torpedoed, when the Kumasi High Court slapped an eleventh-hour injunction on the presiding member and the Electoral Commission, restraining them from convening the meeting and conducting the election.

The paper continued that, the Assembly voted 50-2 in favour of the petition signed by 46 members of the assembly calling for a vote of no confidence in Nana Akwasi Agyeman.

The paper added that due to this vote, a high powered government delegation led by the Minister of Local Government & Rural development, Mr. Kwamena Ahwoi, Mr. Daniel Ohene Agyekum, Greater Accra Regional Minister and Prof. Patrick Twumasi of the office of the President and former High Commissioner to Zimbabwe, was dispatched to Kumasi on Wednesday in a move to stop the removal of the K.M.A chief executive from office.

The paper concluded that, as part of the government?s strategy, unconfirmed reports had it that 27 appointees were given symbols to be written on the back of the ballot paper as a way of identifying those for or against the K.M.A. Chief Executive, before the court granted the assembly members temporary injunction which was served the Electoral Commission.

GRi?/