From: barnhart@gagme.chi.il.us (Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS: GHANA: OPPOSITION RATTLED AS ELECTI
Originator: barnhart@gagme
Organization: Gagme Public Access UNIX, Chicago, Illinois.
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 1992 14:31:53 GMT

Title: GHANA: OPPOSITION RATTLED AS ELECTIONS NEAR


an inter press service feature

by frank agyekum

accra, aug 19 (ips) -- the government has rejected a call by
opposition parties to review the transition towards multiparty
rule programme as the opposition gropes towards a united front
against a suspected decision by president jerry rawlings to
stand in the elections.

in late 1990 flt-lt rawlings declared his military-led regime
would give way to democratic elections. since then a timetable
was announced and parties formed. but like many of africa's
longserving rulers, the 45-year old airforce pilot shows no
signs of wanting to retire.

instead, over the past year he has toured the country in what
is regarded as an unofficial presidential campaign which will be
this west african country's first multiparty poll since 1979.

now with only four months to the election deadline,
opposition leaders are trying to iron out differences in an
attempt to form a united front against rawlings amid incresing
apprehension that he may run and win, entrenching his 10-year
rule through the ballot box.

after weeks of delay, seven of the ten opposition parties met
in accra earlier this month under the umbrella title of the
alliance of democratic forces (adf) in a last ditch bid to stamp
their mark on a poltical reform process they claimed had been
stage managed by rawling's ruling provisional national defence
council (pndc).

the organisers had intended the meeting to produce a
single presidential candidate representing all the opposition to
strengthen their poll chances, but failed.

however, the adf called for dialogue with government to iron
out their differences on the electoral process. the delay
between presidential and parliamentary elections, scheduled for
november and december respectively, they argued increased the
chances of rigging and was a waste of time and money.

the adf contend that they should take place on a single
day in december. the opposition also demanded a re-registration
of voters, alledging that there were over one million ghost
names included in the original exercise.

adf called for representation on the interim national
electoral commission, (inec) the body with responsibility for
organising elections. they also asked for equal access to the
public media for all political parties, banning of all
paramilitary groups, repeal of ''oppressive'' laws, and an
interim government of up to seven eminent citizens. (ips/more)


ghana: opposition (2)

on the day the adf resolution was presented to the
government, the secretary for justice and attorney-general,
emmanuel tanoh, issued a statement rejecting all the alliance
demands.

it said: ''although the government welcomes constructive
proposals...it cannot accept...demands which are intended,
or likely, to derail the process towards constitutional rule''.

''it is not the practice anywhere in the democratic world to
appoint representatives of political parties to the membership
of an electoral commission charged with the conduct and
supervision of elections since that will be a receipe for
confusion'', said the attorney general.

he denied there were any remaining political prisoners in
ghana and challenged the adf to name any. as regards amnesty,
all those who left voluntarily could return home, he said.

jones ofori-atta, a parliamentarian in the third republic had
recently returned from the united kingdom taking advantage of
the new freedoms, said tanoh.

all this has led to unease in the adf camp. its chair,
80-year old komla agbeli gbedema, said over the week-end that
they are still waiting for the official government response. the
attorney-general's reply was not enough.

it is unlikely the government will reply officially or that
the opposition will be granted a meeting with rawlings by aug.
22 as demanded.

diplomatic sources say the opposition are unlikely to do
anything to derail the electoral timetable. they characterise
the latest demands as posturing and may have been the
opposition's last chance to organise a coherent strategy against
the incumbent.

rumours were rife, last week that rawlings would declare his
candidacy, ending months of speculation. only his open
candidature might possibly force the opposition to unite behind
a single nominee. end/ips/fa/ro/oa/92)

(story received incomplete)
n174


-- 
Aaron (Barnhart@gagme.chi.il.us) -- posting from Evanston, Illinois
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african