Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ACCRA1448
2008-11-14 09:20:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Accra
Cable title:  

GHANA ELECTIONS: BUSSING STUDENTS FOR POLITICAL

Tags:  GH KDEM PGOV PHUM PINS PREL 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO1201
PP RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHAR #1448 3190920
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 140920Z NOV 08 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY ACCRA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7236
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE PRIORITY
UNCLAS ACCRA 001448 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/W

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: GH KDEM PGOV PHUM PINS PREL
SUBJECT: GHANA ELECTIONS: BUSSING STUDENTS FOR POLITICAL
GAIN

UNCLAS ACCRA 001448

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/W

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: GH KDEM PGOV PHUM PINS PREL
SUBJECT: GHANA ELECTIONS: BUSSING STUDENTS FOR POLITICAL
GAIN


1. (U) SUMMARY. Members of the opposition National
Democratic Congress (NDC) party in Cape Coast physically
prevented a group of university students from transferring
their voting district to this university town in Ghana's
Central Region early this week. According to NDC party
officials, the students had been bussed from campus to the
local EC. An NDC official said that the buses were paid for
by Kennedy Agyapong, the ruling New Patriotic Party's MP from
the Assin North district of Central Region, which borders on
the Ashanti Region. The NDC members successfully stopped the
students from changing their polling stations, but police had
to intercede to prevent violence. END SUMMARY


2. (U) On a trip to Cape Coast on Tuesday to speak with
regional party officials and the Regional Electoral
Commission director, Emboffs stumbled into a partisan
conflict that had just erupted. The opposition NDC accused
the ruling NPP party of trying to rig the election for Cape
Coast's member of Parliament (a seat for which there is no
incumbent and which the NDC is favored to capture) by bussing
large numbers of students who were registered in their home
constituencies in the NPP stronghold Ashanti Region to
transfer their votes to Cape Coast. (NOTE: Cape Coast is a
community with a large number of college and university
students who have the choice of registering to vote either in
their home constituencies or where they attend school. END
NOTE). When the NDC got wind of the busloads of students
arriving at the Metropolitan Electoral Commission (EC),they
summoned party faithful to assemble at the EC to protest the
mass transfer. Confronted by the NDC protesters--who
reportedly had been joined by non-partisan community members
fed up with students playing such a large role in determining
their political fortunes--the EC suspended the exercise.


3. (U) The Central Region's regional minister (a political
position appointed by the President) appeared at the protest
and was jeered by the crowd who accused him of masterminding
the vote transfers. Police arrived on the scene shortly
thereafter and escorted the regional minister away from the
increasingly vociferous protest.


4. (U) A regional organizer for the NDC, located at their
Cape Coast office, told Emboffs that even though it was legal
for voters to transfer their polling place, the mass bussing
by the ruling party was a move that they could not accept.
If individual students want to vote in Cape Coast, he said,
the NDC would accept that, but this was a blatant partisan
intervention. They alleged that Kennedy Agyapong, the NPP's
member of Parliament from a neighboring Central Region
constituency, had paid the students and provided the
transportation in an attempt to help the NPP's Cape Coast
parliamentary candidate win the election. (NOTE: Central
Region is a crucial swing area in which the NDC hopes to make
substantial gains in this year's election. END NOTE). The
NDC official also expressed concern when another party
official informed him that an NPP rally was planned that
evening for a location near where the NDC's supporters would
be gathering.


5. (U) Emboffs next called on Samuel TETTEY, regional
director of the Central Region Electoral Commission, who
acknowledged that the EC had suspended the transfers. He
planned to meet with both parties in the hope of arriving at
an amicable solution, but said that the EC was opposed in
principle to mass transfers by any political party. When
asked about reports that the central Electoral Commission had
been releasing funds to district ECs as much as 3 months
late, he conceded that had also been the case in Central
Region. "We have had to buy some things on credit," he said,
"bu petrol stations and the like know that we will come
through with the funds we owe." He said, however, that his
regional office was totally prepared for the election and he
expected no problems with the process.


6. (U) On the drive back to Accra late Tuesday afternoon,
Emboffs ended up behind a large NDC campaign truck with loud
speakers blaring NDC campaign songs and slogans. We
purposely remained behind the truck for several kilometers to
gauge reaction along the road. While not a scientific study,
it is worth noting that support from villagers, cyclists,
motorists, and vendors along the route was positive,
enthusiastic, and exuberant.
TEITELBAUM