TAIN wakes up to action

0844hrs Friday January 2, 2009

The People of Tain at the Eye of the Storm

It has been reported and confirmed with live TV reports that NPP has not deployed any polling agents nor participated in the facilitation of ballot paper movements in the Tain constituency this morning

Last night too, Arthur Kennedy was on the airwaves saying the party will be boycotting the ballot because the Court effectively said so. How he or the party interpreted the Justice's actions as such beats my mind. Why they will lose such an opportunity to bridge the gap they so dearly need to come up tops beats my mind as well. In the meantime, NDC is working hard to finish the race kwatakwata with our without NPP.

I think doing what they have done ( if it a party decision) even limits the breath of opportunity that the NPP has, if there is one at all. It's a most unfortunate decision for a party that is struggling to come up on top under the circumstances . Whoever took that step to the street has done a great disservice to the party. Of course, when a person goes to the polling station to vote, no one will ask him/her which party they belong to. I want to look at it from another angle, that it is, maybe it was the local party boys that have chosen not to go to the polling stations today in which case the party hierarchy must have stepped in to call them to order. But I doubt the local boys can take such a momentous decision on such a critical matter at such a watershed time in such a nail-biting election.

Look, for a party that needs 23,055 PLUS ONE MORE VOTE than Mills will get out of the remaining valid votes cast. (Nana needs 23,055 + [(50% +1) of the valid votes to be cast today] to be declared the winner ) This is not a good story to write home about. What they have done reminds me of a person who wants to get into a university and decides that they will wait for their results before they fill the application.. it will be late by that time. You only get a chance if you have a leg in the door with a pre-completed application. someone in NPP backrooms is not advising well. They are losing some sympathisers along the way with all the uncertainty as to options and strategy and unpredictability of actions. My concern is that if it is a decision of the party, then they are not helping their party supporters in Tain to exercise their franchise.

in any case, if the people see themselves as individuals, they can exercise their franchise. I do hope that someone will not come up later today and say that they don't recognise the ballot in Tain.

questions: can we say that the EC has been restrained by any court order? can NPP say that they have served the EC with a court-approved (restraining) order? is the EC right in conducting today's poll in Tain? has the NPP made a mistake with their non-participation action of today? would Tain plebians be angry with NPP and give less votes to NPP today?
what other steps are NPP likely to take in the aftermath of Tain? How remote is the possibility that Pres Kufour would not have a successor named by 0700hrs January 7th? many questions abound on my mind.

in the meantime, whilst we are brooding over the questions, the EC has said that it is not by force for parties/candidates to have an agent at the polling stations and the collation centres, but an option they have put in place to deepen participation in the process.. so they have gone ahead to carry out the exercise in Tain.

Like I said yesterday, 1700hrs today will be the most sought after time on our clock. until then, my ears are glued to the radio and my eyes on the TV..

whew!!! this day is truly unfolding. Today, I am wringing my fingers because my finger and toe nails are all finished.

Do we have a political stalemate? This is one election that will get the political historians enough fodder to analyse for many years to come. whatever you can add, add and let the debate go on!!

Another Friday in Ghana has just started and the EC has a big task. Would he accept the challenge? I sincerely hope so.

Good morning

Bla Elik