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11.01.2005 NDC

NDC To Contest Election Results In Court

11.01.2005 LISTEN
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The opposition National Democratic Congress is going to court to contest the results of the presidential elections held on December 7.

Final results released by the Electoral Commission (EC) on Monday, gave president Kufuor 52.4 per of the total votes cast as against professor Mill's 44.6 per cent.

The two other presidential candidates, Dr Edward Mahama and George Aggudey, polled 1.9 and 0.99 per cent of the total votes cast.

The NDC has stated that it will demand a re-collation of the results because of what it perceives to be widespread irregularities in the conduct of the polls and the declaration of results.

Rojo Mettle Nunoo, communications director for Professor Mills's campaign said but for anomalies in reporting, the outcome of the elections there would have been a run-off.

He said there were several instances of massive irregularities in the conduct of the election itself and the reporting of the results, in the capturing of polls and the final collation of the results.

“In our view in many instances in both the Presidential and Parliamentary elections the credibility of the EC in conducting free, fair and transparent elections is flawed by their lack of accountability”, he said.

He said normally the center number, statement of poll are captured and crosschecked based on the format the EC has provided on accurate reporting, stressing, “ there has been no accurate reporting”

He said although the NDC representative signed the declaration of Results Form at one constituency presented by the EC, it was an incomplete form.

He said in the event that some returning officers did not sign, there is evidence that NDC agents had signed even though the right thing has not been done by the EC.

Asked about what point the anomalies were brought to their attention, Mr Mettle Nunoo said when the 2004 results unfolded the leadership of the party drew the attention of the EC, but the EC maintained that the complaints would not prevent him from declaring the results.

He said the anomalies were absolutely widespread describing the whole election as a flaw citing the Pru, Tolon, Zabzugu Tatale as examples. He accused the EC of not validating the alleged ballot boxes that were burnt.

“There have been allegations that certain members of the NPP intimidated the returning officers to the extent that in some cases it was the deputy returning officer that declared the results and not the returning officer himself.”

He said there is no report of the government, the police and the EC of having apprehended perpetrators of the offence to bring them to book.

“What is the guarantee that what happened in Tolon, Pru, Zabzugu Tatale and Yapei Gushegu is not a track record and a trend that will be replicated all over the country”, he said.

“We will definitely take the EC to the 'Cleaners' to show that this election was not free and fair”, he said

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