...to ensure level playing field for all political parties in Akyem Abuakwa

Koforidua, July 10, GNA-The Eastern Regional Branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has expressed disappointment at the attempt to drag the "Ofori Panin Fie", the palace of Okyenhene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Atta into partisan politics.

The NDC has therefore appealed to the Okyehene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Atta, to take the necessary measures to ensure that all political parties in the country are given a free hand to campaign at Kyebi and all towns and villages in the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area. The appeal was made by the Eastern Regional Secretary of the party, Mr Anthony Gyampoh, in a press briefing in Koforidua on Thursday. He said reports reaching his office indicate that, late Monday night, the Abontendomhene of the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area, who is also the Chief of Kyebi, Osabarima Kyeretwe Boakye-Dankwa, organized the removal of posters of the Presidential Candidate of the NDC and that of the parliamentary candidate of the party for Abuakwa South Constituency, which had been pasted in the Kyebi township.

Mr. Gyampoh alleged that a sympathizer of the party saw a man identified only as K. K. and Okyere Osei all of Kyebi removing the posters and then sending them to the palace.

He alleged that earlier in the day, an activist of the party who was pasting the posters in the Kyebi town was invited to the palace by Osabarima Boakye-Dankwa who verbally assaulted him for pasting the posters of NDC in the town when the royal and son of Kyebi was contesting for the Presidency of the country on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Mr Gyampoh said the whole country had accepted multi-party democracy as a means of governance and all needed to contribute their quota to ensure that it worked as enshrined in the constitution of the country. He said the party would seek audience with Osabarima Boakye-Dankwa and the Okyenhene on the issue to ensure that all parties appreciate their role and ensure fairness to all. When Osabarima Boakye-Dankwa was contacted by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) for his reaction to the accusation, he denied ever organizing the removal of the posters of the NDC Presidential and parliamentary candidates in the Kyebi town.

He explained that, on Monday, he was informed that one Walasay who is a member of the Okyeman Task Force, which works under him, was seen pasting political posters in town and so he sent for him. He said he explained to Walasay that if he was seen pasting political posters in the Kyebi town, some people could interpret it to mean he Osabarima Boakye-Dankwa was behind what he was doing and was getting involved in politics and therefore advised Walasay to choose between working for the palace or the political party so that the palace would not be accused of doing politics.

Osabarima Boakye-Dankwa said he has never prevented any political party from pasting their posters at Kyebi but he openly advised at a public forum that people should not past any posters on the walls of the Ofori Panin Fie and durbar grounds where community funds had been spent in painting those areas. When GNA took a stroll through the Kyebi town, it was only at Kyebi Zongo that some faded posters of the NDC presidential candidate were pasted.

Throughout the central part of the town it was only posters of NPP presidential and parliamentary candidates that had been pasted and even some of those posters had been pasted on the walls at the back of the Ofori Panin Fie. 10 July 08