NPP, NDC In ?Do & Die? Politics In Greater Accra

Investigations revealed that pending the forthcoming mopping-up exercise by the Electoral Commission (EC), analysis of voter figures of 2000 and 2004 indicates that apart from the Greater Accra Region which had an increase of 240,508 voters, the remaining nine regions had substantial reduction of voters?

As per the July 15, 2004 voters? register chart, Ashanti Region had a reduction of 101,992; Volta recorded 191.512 voters less; Brong Ahafo ? 122,432 less; Easter ? 118,862 less; Western ? 90,166 less, Upper East ? 55,943, Northern ? 53,119; Upper West ? 27,089 less and Central ? 25,578 less.

It is against this background that readers should understand why the two main parties ? the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have been engaged in a political ?do and die? battle in the Greater Accra Region.

Results of the 1996 Presidential and Parliamentary indicated that the NDC, which won the elections, swept through the region. The NDC had 13 seats and its presidential candidate, President Jerry John Rawlings had 54% of valid votes cast. The then main opposition party, the NPP, had nine seats and its presidential candidate, Mr John Agyekum Kufour, had 43.3%.

There was an unbelievable reversal in 2000. The NPP increased its seats by seven, to 16 seats and its candidate, President Kufour, had a massive 9.2% increase, to 52.5%. The NDC lost seven seats, down to six. Its candidate, the then Vice-President, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, had 42.5% of the votes.