Harry Zakour Wins

Harry Zakour

LEBANESE-BORN was last Saturday declared the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Constituency Chairman for the Klottey Korle constituency in Accra.

He won by a landslide, clinching the enviable position though many party faithful disagreed with his nomination.

Some opposing factions were of the view that it was against the party's dogma for unqualified persons to contest any election, especially such delicate position as the constituency chairman and especially when they are not card-bearing members.

Apparently, an injunction, DAILY GUIDE was told, had been placed on the elections but the people at the helm of affairs defied this and went ahead with the process.

According to them, they only knew Mr. Zakour as a soccer administrator and owner of a restaurant, 'Bus Stop'.

“We don't know him as a card-bearing member of the NDC so he is not fit to be our chairman and above all take hasty decisions on our behalf,” the aggrieved constituents added.

Even before the Saturday elections, media reports alleged that the Member of Parliament for the area and Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Armah Ashietey, had handpicked Mr. Zakour, the former Chairman of Accra Hearts of Oak Sporting Club.

Several secret meetings were said to have ensued among top party executives in the area, a situation party supporters thought could mar the relative transparency and fairness of the process.

Sources however told DAILY GUIDE that the Regional Minister had advised the voters to exercise decorum and not attempt to give the party a denting image during the voting process.

Policemen from the Regional Police Command in Accra had earlier been accused of brutalizing 25-year-old Wisdom Crah, an NDC youth activist, for attempting to stall ward-elections in the Klottey Korle constituency.

He alleged that the policemen threw heavy punches at him and struck him with the butts of their rifles while he lay flat on the ground, causing him severe pains in the neck, his right leg, back and right arm.

Crah said his friend, Alex Ofei Agyemang, also received a fair share of the punches which led to a broken nose and profuse bleeding.

By Nathaniel Y.Yankson