Vote buying
Reality or unfair perception?
| Posted: Friday, October 28, 2005
Yesterday it was reported in the ADM that the Eastern Region Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Mr. Adi Ankamah, had cautioned his party's incoming constituency and regional chairmen not to "allow anyone who has the highest money to buy your conscience". There is a well known proverb that says "there's no smoke without fire", so Mr. Ankamah must have been aware of some vote buying before cautioning his members to look out for such corrupting influences. This fear runs through all the political parties.
A Ghana News Agency report filed yesterday also quoted Mr. Evans Kwablah Ablordeppey, an NDC organizer in Kumasi, expressing a similar sentiment to Adi Ankamah's. Money must certainly be buying consciences in the parties. The GNA report is quoted in full below:
"National Democratic Congress (NDC) delegates who will attend the forthcoming Oforikrom constituency congress have been advised against being influenced by gifts or monies to vote for some particular candidates.
Mr. Evans Kwablah Ablordeppey, NDC Organizer of the Constituency, who gave the advice said, they should rather be guided by the ability of the candidate to bring victory to the party than voting for a candidate based on his wealth or popularity.
He was speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Kumasi on Wednesday on the need for fair and transparent elections during the congress.
Mr. Ablordeppey, who is seeking re-election as the Constituency Organiser, said it would be a Herculean task to wrestle power from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in 2008 if the right calibre of executive members and candidates were not elected into office.
The Constituency congress is scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, October 29. About 196 delegates are expected to attend the congress, which would assess the party's performance over the years and elect new executives to steer the affairs of the party."
Are these concerns merely anecdotal or reflective of the true weight of the political "War Chests" some people are said to have piled up? Please see front page letter.
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