Three candidates file nomination

THREE of the four contenders for the December 7 presidential election who filed their nominations yesterday cleared the final hurdle with the Electoral Commission (EC) when their forms were accepted by the commission.
The nomination forms of the fourth aspirant, Mr Kwasi Amoafo-Yeboah, who wants to contest the election as an independent candidate, were rejected because he did not include his bust-size pictures and a tax clearance certificate. He was asked to submit them today, failure of which will lead to his disqualification from the contest.
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was first to go through the process of filing his nomination with the EC at exactly 10.00 a.m., followed by Professor John Evans Atta Mills of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) at 12.00 noon.
Nana Akufo-Addo and Prof Mills were accompanied by their running mates, Dr Mahamadu Bawumia and Mr John Mahama, respectively, and the two pairs went through the filing exercise without any hitches.
However, when it was the turn of Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom and his running mate, Dr Abu Foster Sakara, who arrived at the EC at 3.15 p.m., what seemed to be a walk through for them suddenly turned into a battle.
The EC Chairman, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, who received the nomination forms for examination, after a temporary hold up, announced to the press that some of the people who had endorsed the nomination forms of the CPP flag bearer had not appended their signatures against their names.
He, therefore, asked Dr Nduom to correct the anomaly before the documents would be accepted.
However, for more than one hour that could not be done and the exercise had to be suspended temporarily, while the CPP flag bearer and some executives had to leave the room.
Dr Nduom and his entourage returned to the conference room later to present his nomination papers again to the Chairman of the EC.
Dr Afari-Gyan announced to the press that “after some delays in the proceedings, the commission has accepted the nominations of Dr Nduom”.
That was greeted with shouts from the supporters, and the brass band music that had died down came alive again.
Dr Afari-Gyan then declared the three aspirants — Nana Akufo-Addo, Prof Mills and Dr Nduom — as official candidates for Election 2008, barring any discrepancies to be detected later in their forms.
Although teeming supporters of both the NPP and the NDC were at the precincts of the EC, the filing of the papers and the period after that were peaceful, as policemen ensured that all the NPP supporters left the area before the NDC supporters arrived with their flag bearer.
The national chairmen and the general secretaries of the NDC and the NPP, Dr Kwabena Adjei and Mr Johnson Asiedu- Nketia, as well as Mr Peter Mac Manu and Nana Ohene Ntow, respectively, appended their signatures in support of their respective candidates.
Mr Amoafo-Yeboah’s entry into the offices of the EC was not marked with fanfare. He entered the EC premises in a solemn manner, followed by about 15 of his supporters.
Addressing the EC members, NPP officials and the press at the EC office just after the process, Nana Akufo-Addo described the process of filing the nominations as another milestone in the democratic development of the country.
He expressed confidence in the EC to organise clean and transparent elections but added that all stakeholders must lend their support in that direction.
The NPP candidate said the EC, under the chairmanship of Dr Afari-Gyan, had held elections which had always been an improvement over previous ones and expressed the hope that with the support of all Ghanaians another election success would be chalked up.
“Ghanaians deserve nothing less than good and credible elections,” he said, adding that such an achievement would “enhance our position as a beacon for Africa”.
Prof Mills, for his part, expressed optimism that Ghanaians would offer the NDC the opportunity to form the next government because the NPP had failed to live up to expectation.
He said Ghanaians were yearning for a change that would take them in a different direction from polarisation, end corruption, incompetence and promote the welfare of the ordinary person.
Prof Mills said one of the issues dearest to the heart of the NDC was how to ensure free, fair and transparent elections, saying, “It is our hope and prayer that together we will be able to do this great service to Mother Ghana.”
He said Ghana was the only country for Ghanaians and, therefore, anyone who wanted to rule in violence and fear was only courting disaster and urged all to ensure that there was peace before, during and after the elections.
Dr Nduom said the CPP had so far refrained from impugning the integrity of the EC because a credible commission would enable the country to organise acceptable polls.
He said the CPP was hopeful that the elections would be organised in a manner that would consolidate the independence of the country which the CPP fought hard to achieve.