Regional News of Saturday, 31 August 2013

Source: GNA

We accept the verdict but with discomfort - NPP Secretary

Dr. Clifford Abdallah Braimah, Northern Regional Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has indicated that the NPP respects the Supreme Court’s final verdict, but does not agree entirely with it.

“We are not comfortable with the Supreme Court’s judgment, but we accept it because they are the highest court of the land”, he said.

Speaking in an interview with the GNA in Tamale soon after the pronouncement of the verdict, Dr Braimah said the court did not consider the issues of unsigned pink sheets and voting without biometric verification seriously.

He said the Court should have taken those issues into serious consideration to ensure that future elections are well conducted.

Alhaji Urmar Issifu Alhassan, Northern Regional Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), on the other hand, noted that the party was very happy about the outcome of the election petition, saying “It is victory for democracy”.

He urged the NPP to put the court case behind since it was all over, and to join hands with the ruling party to build the nation.

“We are going to plan a victory celebration very soon, so I am appealing to our supporters and foot soldiers to celebrate in moderation”, he said.

Alhaji Urmar dismissed suggestions by some civil society organizations that people should not celebrate over the verdict, noting that it was impossible to prevent people from rejoicing, given the prevailing circumstances.