The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) will take the number one position on the ballot sheet for the December 7 presidential and parliamentary elections.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) follows at the second position whilst the Ghana Union Movement (GUM) follows at the third position.
The Convention People’s Party (CPP) will occupy the fourth position, with the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP) and Great Consolidated People’s Party (GCP) occupying the fifth and sixth positions respectively.
The others are All People’s Congress (APC), 7th; Liberal Party Ghana (LPG), 8th; People’s National Congress (PNC), 9th; Progressive People’s Party(PPP), 10th; National Democratic Party(NDP), 11th; and an independent candidate placing 12th.
Representatives of the various political parties yesterday underwent two rounds of balloting to select their chosen positions. The first round was determined by the order in which the presidential candidates filed their papers at the EC, while the second round was to choose the order of picking the ballot to determine the order on the ballot paper.
Drama
However, there was drama during the exercise as Peter Boamah Otokunor, Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, who was the party’s representative, was seen trading words with a representative of the NDP, Mohammed Frimpong.
The two were seen trading words over the number of representatives brought in by the NDC.
The Head of Public Affairs at the Electoral Commission (EC), Sylvia Annoh, after few minutes, took it upon herself to explain that the seating arrangement was meant for only two persons from each party.
Having come with three representatives, the NDC refused to heed the Commission’s directive.
As if that was not enough, Mr Otokunor again accused the EC of bias.
He complained: “We’re just trying to eliminate bias; let us see the ballot papers you’re asking us to pick…I have an A4 sheet here, just tear it and start writing 1, 2, 3, 4…the whole Ghana is watching…we run elections in our party every time, and we use the same principle so why are you adopting a principle that is alien to us…?”
Candidates for polls
The EC also found five other candidates unfit to compete in the race on grounds of forged signatures, among other infractions.
The qualified candidates include Alfred Kwame Asiedu Walker, Independent Candidate; Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, NPP; Christian Kwabena Andrews, GUM; Brigitte Akosua Dzogbenuku, PPP; and John Dramani Mahama, NDC.
The rest are Akua Donkor, GFP; Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, NDP; Hassan Ayariga, APC; Ivor Kobina Greenstreet, CPP; Henry Herbert Lartey, GCPP; Percival Kofi Akpaloo, LPG; and David Asibi Ayindenaba Apasera, PNC.
Five persons, Kofi Koranteng, Kofi Marrick Gani, both independent candidates; Akwesi Odike, of UFP; Kwesi Busom Buru, of PAP; and Nana Agyenim Boateng, of UFP were also disqualified for forgery.
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