UK police grant permission for Ghana election demo

The Metropolitan Police in London on 4th April, 2013 cleared the way for Ghanaian residents in United Kingdom called The Concerned Ghanaians Against Electoral Fraud (COGEF) and other Ghanaian groups in London for their impending highly publicised demonstration on Friday, 12th April 2013 to be staged in the heart of Central London. COGEF and other Ghanaians in the Diaspora intend to drag the Ghana Electoral Commission and Prez John Mahama on the Streets of London against what they call “the Subversion of Ghana’s Constitution through electoral fraud” perpetuated during the recent general elections held in December 2012.

The Met Police after receiving the completed required application form plus a copy of the Petition to be presented by the demonstrators accordingly granted the permission.

The demonstration with the Met Police protection starts from 10:00am prompt at the Ghana High Commission in UK, 13 Belgrave Square, Victoria, SW1X, 8PS Central London, where the first petition will be presented to the High Commissioner H.E. Prof Kwaku Danso Boafo, who has been officially informed through his Welfare Director, Mr Blankson about the planned protest.
The demonstrators will then move on to the Trafalgar Square, where petitions will be presented to the following:

Office of UK Prime Minister
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Dept. for International Development (DFID)
House of Commons (Select Committee on Africa)

All indications show that the demonstration will be well attended by many Ghanaians in London. Others are travelling from other cities across the UK and other European countries. Some major media firms in UK like the Guardian News and others have already shown interest by contacting and meeting up with the organisers for more information. The Coordinator, Lawyer Adreba Kwaku Abrefa Damoa confirmed that so far over 200 people, some working for media firms in Ghana especially, US, Germany and France have contacted him via phones and emails.

According to the Ghanaians in UK, evidence available suggests that well over 1,800,000 (1.8million) fraudulent votes were added to advantage Mr John Dramani Mahama who was declared the winner on 9th Dec 2012 by the Chairman of the Electoral Commission (E.C) despite the Commission’s attention being drawn to obvious fraud that had taken place even before half of the results was declared, prompted by some political parties in Ghana.

At the moment, the Leaders of the main opposition party in Ghana have petitioned the Supreme Court of Ghana, challenging the legitimacy of Mr John Dramani Mahama as the President. However, the petition has been subjected to numerous deliberate delays by the E.C and its allies Mr Mahama (Prez declared) and NDC party, making our Superior Court of Judicature looking tottering. It appears our Supreme Court has not yet realised its fundamental responsibility as the Superior Court of Judicature of the land which has the Nation’s Ultimate Governance of Freedom, Justice and Peace in its palm.

The Ghanaians in UK are of the view that, though the Supreme Court has on 2nd April 2013, set 16th April 2013 to commence hearing of the petition, it is still unclear as to how long this hearing is going to last before the Court will pronounce its final judgement, considering the previous deliberate conduct by the respondents to cause delays. “We believe that, any further unnecessary delay will undoubtedly increase the already simmering tension in the country.”

Even before the commencement of the hearing at the Supreme Court, the E.C has failed to account for over 241,500 registered voters which the commission claims were the Ghanaians registered abroad. This huge number mysteriously appeared in the final electoral register but could not be accounted for, notwithstanding the fact that the Chairman of the EC, Mr Afari Gyan had earlier indicated that no Ghanaian abroad could vote since the Representation of the People Act (ROPA) law giving the right to Ghanaians abroad to register and vote was not yet implemented.

Ghanaians in UK claim they have on record that there were over four hundred and fifty (450) people from UK alone who travelled to Ghana to register and travelled back again to cast their votes. These two journeys cost each person not less than £3,000 just to cast a single vote for a preferred candidate. They added: “It is important that our votes realise the importance and relevance of our travels and our love for our motherland –Ghana”.
Ghana, our country has long been respected internationally as a pinnacle in the fight for freedom and as the citadel of democracy in sub-Saharan Africa and for that matter we have the responsibility to uphold it.

“We are therefore imploring all Ghanaians in UK, Africans and ‘true democracy-loving’ people all over the world to join hands with us on Friday, 12th April 2013; 10:00am prompt to help save Ghana from tipping over into civil strife and systematic perpetual electoral fraud”. It is time to stop corruption with impunity and strongman rule in Africa; it is time to stop vote manipulations, rigging of elections and backdoor dictatorship in Ghana and in Africa.

Our Votes must count for peace to prevail. No justice, No peace.

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