NDC's assertion is a sham - J.H. Mensah

Mr. John Henry Mensah, Minority Leader, has described the NDC's assertion that two million of its supporters did not vote on December 7 due to complacency as "a sham" that must be ignored by Ghanaians.

He said the minority parties are of the firm belief that such statements are being made by the NDC leadership "to prepare the grounds for a vast electoral fraud through the use of the three million excess names on the voters' register during the presidential run-off.

Mr. Mensah told the Ghana News Agency in Sunyani on Wednesday that the minority parties have seen through the trickery and deception behind these assertions and would do everything to thwart the abuse of the bloated register for partisan gains.

"There is no basis for the NDC to make such wild claims after its leadership copiously exploited state resources and personnel in agencies such as NADMO and National Mobilisation Programme to stimulate their supporters in every corner of the country."

The Minority Leader noted that if voter turnout in the last elections was below 60 per cent in some places, it did not denote that a large number of people abstained but was indicative that the register is extremely bloated.

Mr. Mensah said it is interesting for the NDC to claim that only its supporters failed to vote on December 7 when it ran the most extensive tour, received the biggest media coverage and mounted the most sustained and widest advertising campaigns.

"The fact is more than 55 per cent of voters want the NDC government changed and it is about time it graciously accepted this and stopped throwing dust into the eyes of the public."

Mr Mensah warned the NDC against using clandestine means to stay in power as recent events have proved clearly and convincingly that "whoever perpetuates himself in power against the will of the majority of the people cannot endure".

"The NDC, led by President Rawlings, toured the whole country during the electioneering campaign to render account of their stewardship and the overwhelming majority of Ghanaians found their performance unsatisfactory hence its defeat.

"The NDC can resurrect all the ghosts from the cemetery to vote for it during the run-off but still the will of the people will ultimately prevail," Mr Mensah added.

He alleged that attempts were being made to bribe electoral officials such as returning and presiding officers and cautioned them against yielding to such temptations.

He also urged the teeming supporters of the NPP and its allies to be extremely vigilant before, during and after the run-off so as to foil any rigging attempt by the NDC.

"We must never drop our guard as the price for freedom is eternal vigilance."

Mr Mensah, who was Finance Minister in the Busia administration, denied that the NPP and the Nkrumaists parties of the PNC and CPP are strange bed-fellows", saying that those who make such assertions are ignorant of the contemporary history of the country.

"The NPP has had a close working collaboration with the PNC and CPP members of parliament since the present parliament came into being four years ago. It is therefore not surprising or strange that they have thrown their weight behind the NPP in the run-off."