Tony Aidoo:, "NDC will call for recount"

The Director of Research of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Dr. Tony Aidoo has noted that the party would call for a countrywide recount of yesterday's election results. According to Dr. Aidoo, Vice-President, Professor J.E.A. Mills has "enough grounds to call for a recount".

He was speaking in a telephone interview with NCS in Accra. Dr. Aidoo, also Deputy Defense Minister said the election was marred with many acts of intimidation and other forms of malpractices. He doubt the results from Bantama in the Ashanti Region where the New Patriotic Party (NPP) had over 99,000 votes as against a little over 10,000 of the NDC.

The NDC Research Director although admits that the area is an NPP stronghold doubts the credibility of the results from the area. He told NCS that as somebody, who has lived in Kumasi and knows the area very well, "there is no way the area can record a voter turnout of over 100,000.

Dr. Aidoo said, this and other recorded incidents of violence and intimidation of voters all over the country, present enough grounds for Professor Mills and the NDC to call for a recount.

In an earlier telephone interview, the National Campaign Manager of the NPP, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey said the party expects Professor Mills to concede defeat by close of day today. He said, immediately the Vice-President concedes defeat, the NPP presidential candidate would make an official statement to the press on the election.

Meanwhile, release of election results by the Electoral Commission has been delayed as agents of the ruling NDC left the offices of the Commission without signing the results to enable the EC certify it. Results released so far put the NPP flag-bearer, Mr. Kufuor far ahead of his opponent, Professor Mills.