Political Parties Ballot…. Nana Picks 1, John Picks 2

The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) will take the number one position on the ballot sheet followed by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the December 7, polls.

This was after representatives of the all eleven political parties and an independent Candidate had taken turns to pick numbers during a balloting process at the Electoral Commission office in Accra yesterday.

The Ghana Union Movement (GUM); Convection Peoples Party, (CPP); Ghana Freedom Party (GFP) and the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP) picked the third, fourth, fifth and sixth positions respectively.

Hassan Ayariga’s All Peoples Congress (APC), Mr Kofi Akpaloo’s Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), the People’s National Convention (PNC), the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) and Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings’ National Democratic Party (NDP) would appear at the seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth positions while independent candidate, Jacob Osei Yeboah (JOY) automatically occupies the twelfth spot.

The balloting comes just a day after the Commission disqualified some five aspirants for breaching aspects of the nomination process, for which they have been referred to the police for prosecution on the grounds of forgery.

They are Messrs. Kwesi Busumbru of the People’s Action Party (PAP), Agyenim Boateng of the United Front Party (UFP), Akwasi Addai Odike of the United Progressive Party (UPP), Kofi Gane and Kofi Koranteng, both independent aspirants.

Spin

However, In the Ghanaian context, every number a person picks and occupies on the ballot signifies some meaning as well as some campaign effect.

Usually, the negative effects of these numbers are turned around to the benefit of the presidential candidates

Meanwhile, representatives of the party have begun reading meanings into the members.

While the NPP’s John Boadu believes John Mahama’s number two spot means the second defeat of John Mahama; the NDC’s deputy scribe, Peter Boamah Otukonor insists Nana Addo’s number one slot means a One Term President while Mahama’s number two position means the Second Coming of John Mahama.

Mr. Boadu, stated that the NPP’s Number 1 slot makes it the ultimate party going into the elections and a reflection of the confidence that the citizenry will repose in the as the first choice in terms of leadership in the country.

Mr. Otokunor on the other hand further explained indicated that the outcome was just what the party had been praying for.

“We are very happy about the number that we have picked. In actual fact, that was what we were expecting. We came in for 2 and we got 2. It’s the second coming of JM and you know what it means,” he said.

According to him, it only cements the party’s fortunes as the party to come tops in the December polls.

“When we talk about second coming, we talk about return,” he emphasised.

For supporters of the GUM, it’s about time Ghanaians looked beyond the NPP and NDC and try a third option particularly when the two parties have in their view impoverished the country.

Biased Process?

Earlier, the NDC’s deputy scribe expressed dissatisfaction with the circumstances surrounding the balloting process accusing the Commission of being bias.

“This has never been the concept. It’s about picking numbers. You do the number in front of everybody. We see the papers and the sizes.

“You fold them in front of everybody, put them in the box and do random picking of the ballot for the first phase.

“Then in the second phase, you do the order of the picking. Then you are done,” Mr. Otokunor added.

He argued that the process adopted in the balloting process reinforces the NDC’s position about collusion between the EC and the NPP ahead of the general elections.

Mr. Otokunor noted that the essence of balloting is transparency aimed at removing the element of bias.

“You sit in the comfort of your rooms and bring this to us…we want it to be prepared right in front of us.”

But the chairperson’s of EC ruled out Mr. Otokunor’s allegations stressing that the balloting would continue as planned.

Mr. Samuel Tetteh, a Deputy Chairperson of the Commission after the balloting process said everybody is happy about the process and that “the next thing is the printing of the ballots which we will write to the political parties to send their agents to the printing houses. So there will be a letter to that effect very soon…”