Ghana: Candidates Resume Campaign After Shopping Mall Disaster

Photo: AEP

President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana is the candidate of the National Democratic Congress in the 2012 elections.

Three presidential candidates have resumed rigorous campaigning in the regions, as they approach the homestretch of the December polls, after suspending their political campaign to commiserate with victims of the Achimota Melcom supermarket disaster. President John Mahama of the National Democratic Congress ((NDC),Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party(NPP)and Dr.Michael Abu Sakara of the Covention People’s Party(CPP) all abandoned their campaign  tours in various parts of the country and rushed  to Accra to witness rescue operations at the Melcom supermarket disaster spot and console families of victims.

In other news, after the recent Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference the notice has come out urging parties and the media as quoted by the Daily Graphic “Don’t declare results”. They have appealed to all political parties and media houses not to declare the results of the December 7, 2012 polls. It stated that the Electoral Commission (EC) was the only body mandated by law to declare the official winner of the elections. Another remark to come out of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference is to Be vigilant…Catholic Bishops urge EC, as commented on by the Ghanaian Times. They have implored the EC to remain vigilant and ensure that all relevant resources are deployed towards the successful conduct of the general elections in December. ‘Unnecessary delays or late delivery of human and material resources for the elections, creating undue queues and causing frustrations should be avoided at all cost,’ it stressed.

Staying with the Ghanaian Times we see that PWDs threaten to boycott the election 2012. Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) are planning to boycott the upcoming December 7 election if their concerns and needs are not properly addressed in the manifestos of the respective political parties. Their warning is premised on the fact that their concerns, they say, are either neglected or given scanty attention in the manifestoes.

To finish up this morning’s review is news that Four Presidential candidates are to test wits – Daily Graphic. The four candidates who were left out of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA)Presidential debate  will have the opportunity  to test their wits and intellect against each other, as they engage in a debate tonight to demonstrate  their understanding of national issues. Dr.Paa Kwesi Nduom of the Progressive People’s Party(PPP),Dr. Henry  Lartey of the Great Consolidated Popular Party(GCPP),Akwasi Addai of the United Front Party(UFP) and Jacob Osei Yeboah, the only independent presidential candidate, will address questions relating to  economy, agriculture, education and energy, as they  endeavour to win the hearts and minds of Ghanaians in the debate  under the auspices of Ghana Television (GTV).

This daily news review is compiled by African Elections Project (AEP) Media Monitoring Centre, Accra, Ghana.