Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ACCRA472
2006-02-26 08:39:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Accra
Cable title:  

GHANA PASSES PEOPLE'S REPRESENTATION BILL,

Tags:  ASEC GH PGOV PHUM 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ACCRA 000472 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC GH PGOV PHUM
SUBJECT: GHANA PASSES PEOPLE'S REPRESENTATION BILL,
OPPOSITION DEMONSTRATES

REF: A. ACCRA 345


B. ACCRA 412

C. ACCRA 355

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ACCRA 000472

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC GH PGOV PHUM
SUBJECT: GHANA PASSES PEOPLE'S REPRESENTATION BILL,
OPPOSITION DEMONSTRATES

REF: A. ACCRA 345


B. ACCRA 412

C. ACCRA 355


1. (U) Summary: On February 23, Ghana's parliament passed
the Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, giving
Ghanaians residing abroad the right to vote. The President
has 21 days to sign the bill into law. Passage came two days
after a major opposition demonstration in Accra turned
unruly, leaving around 20 injured. Opposition parties are
against the bill because they believe the ruling NPP party
will use it to rig future elections. Police arrested eight
protest leaders and are investigating the outbreak of
violence and use of police force at the demonstration.
Passage of the bill raises the political temperature in
Ghana, and the opposition plans another demonstration on
March 2. End summary.


2. (U) On February 23, Ghana's parliament passed the highly
controversial Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill
(ROPAB),which gives the right to vote to Ghanaian citizens
residing outside of Ghana. The bill amends Law 248 passed
under the PNDC government in 1992, which limited voting by
Ghanaians living abroad to citizens employed by the
government or serving in the United Nations, including
government-funded students and UN peacekeeping soldiers.
The President has 21 days to sign the bill into law, after
which the Electoral Commission will be expected to provide
comments on implementation.


3. (U) As reported reftels, the GOG and the ruling NPP
party strongly support the ROPAB, asserting that Article 42
of the 1992 constitution entitles every Ghanaian citizen at
least 18 years old and of sound mind to vote in public
elections and referenda. The large amount of remittances
coming from Ghanaian expatriates further strengthen the need
to pass this bill, they state. In his January 31 State of the
Nation address (ref A),President John Kufuor spoke out
forcefully for passage of the ROPAB, arguing that it was
previously supported by former President Rawlings of the NDC,
and that those who opposed it "must have an unwholesome
motive."


4. (U) The major opposition National Democratic Congress
(NDC) party boycotted parliament on February 9 to protest
this bill and alleged lack of respect from the ruling New
Patriotic Party (NPP) when a lawyer for the NDC Deputy

Minority leader was referred to the privileges committee of
parliament for questioning an action of the Speaker.
Opposition parties believe overseas voting cannot be credibly
implemented or monitored. The Electoral Commission lacks the
capacity or funding to administer an overseas election, they
claim. They question how such voting will be administered in
a way which is accessible to all Ghanaians living around the
world and they argue that the GOG should focus on other
priorities. They fear the NPP will use GOG Embassies (with
politically biased staff) to rig expatriate voting in the
2008 presidential elections. On February 14, the opposition
led a peaceful demonstration in Accra against the bill.


5. (U) Passage of the ROPAB comes on the heels of a major
demonstration against the law in Accra on February 21,
organized by "Concerned Ghanaians", a coalition of opposition
parties and civil society groups. The demonstration turned
violent. Some opposition supporters reportedly set several
tires on fire, threw stones, and tried to march on
unauthorized routes. According to media reports, police used
tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets to control the
crowds. There were reports of police beatings. According to
media reports, 27 people were injured, 8 seriously. A Deputy
Inspector of Police was also injured from pelted stones. The
NDC publicly condemned the reaction of the police. Our NDC
sources say they will protest passage of the bill in writing
and in another demonstration on March 2. They have not
decided whether to continue with the boycott of parliament. .



6. (U) The Director of Police Public Affairs, Deputy
Superintendent David Eklu, stated "The Police Administration
takes very strong exception to the various acts of
lawlessness such as burning of lorry tires, stone throwing
and other acts of violence that resulted in injuries" to the
police. On February 22, police arrested (and later released
on bail) eight protest leaders involved in the demonstration,
including the NDC General Secretary, NDC National Women's
Organizer, and the PNC National Youth Organizer, for charges
related to destruction of property and obstruction of
traffic. Minister of Information Dan Botwe affirmed to the
media that the police had the right to ensure law and order,
and that no one had yet been found guilty.


7. (SBU) Comment: We expected this bill to pass this week,
given the NPP's support for speedy passage and the
opposition's absence from parliament. The police are
investigating the February 21 demonstration. While details
remain unclear at this point, media commentators and eye
witness observers point to some excessive use of force by the
police. Pol FSN was in parliament when the ROPA bill passed
and reported that NPP parliamentarians were celabratory.
Passage of this bill and the forceful way the NPP pushed the
law through will further aggravate the increasingly
confrontational direction of Ghanaian politics.
BRIDGEWATER