Votes Cast Exceeded Registered Voters In Some Polling Stations In Volta

Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital, came to a virtual standstill Tuesday when several thousands of New Patriotic Party (NPP) supporters poured onto the streets in a massive show of protest against alleged fraud and discrimination by the Electoral Commission (EC) in the December 7 general elections. Christened �The March for Justice,� the demonstrators marched through selected streets of the city before converging at the Abbey�s Park at Ashanti New Town where their leaders addressed them. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who was expected at the event could not attend, with the national chairman Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey explaining that the former flag bearer was working with the party�s legal team in Accra to put finishing touches to their intended legal suit to challenge the presidential results that declared President John Mahama the winner The demonstrators were questioning why the EC enforced the �No verification, No Vote� law to the letter in the Ashanti Region when it relaxed the same law in other regions notably the Volta Region and the three northern regions. They lauded the NPP leadership�s decision to challenge the presidential results in court since according to them the EC �massaged� some of the figures in favour of President Mahama which enabled him to win the presidential election one touch. The crowd started trooping to the start points at Suame Roundabout and Labour Roundabout at Asafo from all directions as early as 6a.m.to partake in the demonstration described by political observers as the biggest in the political history of the Garden City. The two groups moved to the Central Post Office at Adum from where they all marched through the central business district to the Roman Hill, Ala Bar and finally to the Abbey�s Park. Many residents lined up the streets to cheer up the demonstrators who formed a sea of humans in the streets. The crowd grew thicker by the minute with many leaving their workplaces to join the fray. A blare of music from loudspeakers mounted on vehicles, and brass bands charged up the demonstrators some of whom carried placards some of which read, �No justice no peace,� �Afari Gyan has killed Ghana,� �We support the court action�. Scores of police personnel provided a protective cover at the take-off points to the rally grounds to prevent any unwanted development but there was no difficulty to confront as everything went on peacefully. Earlier reports in a section of the media that the demonstrators would present a petition to the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II turned out to false. Indeed no petition was presented to anybody or institution. Addressing the party supporters at the Abbey�s Park, Mr Obetsebi Lamptey thanked the supporters in Ashanti Region for the massive show of support and love for the party. He was convinced that with the evidence so far gathered, the party would be victorious in the legal challenge to the elections before the Supreme Court. �The struggle is not over. We shall fight on believing that victory will eventually come to us,� he said to rapturous cheers from the crowd. The General Secretary of the NPP, Mr Kwadwo Owusu-Afriyie, disclosed that the party had so far examined results from 24,000 polling stations alleging that the evidence of fraud was overwhelming. For instance, he alleged that in one of the polling stations in the Manhyia constituency, President Mahama obtained 96 votes but the EC in the final analysis gave him 996 votes. Again, he alleged that in some of the polling centres in the Volta Region, the number of votes cast exceeded the total number of registered voters. "The EC made us aware that in such situations the results would be cancelled and we want to ensure that this directive is carried out." Mr Owusu-Afriyie added: �We cannot allow this to happen in Ghana and I think people should thank us for not taking to violence but resorting to legal means to challenge this naked robbery," he said. He urged party supporters not to entertain any fears about the supposed delay in going to court saying �we are still within the 21 days allowed to file our papers in court and we shall surely do it within the period.� �The evidence gathered is on the desk of Nana Addo who is examining them for the eventual take off of the court action,� he said. The regional chairman of NPP, Mr F.F. Anto, said the region was solidly behind the national executives in their efforts to ensure that justice took its course.