Political Broadcast - GBC Says No To Independent Candidates Website
Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) has refused the inclusion of Kwesi Amoafo-Yeboah, an Independent Presidential Candidate in its planned programme of activities. At a meeting to deliberate on GBC's programme line up with representatives of all registered political groupings. Rowland Kofi Armah a representative of the Independent Presidential Candidate, was denied participation and told to only observe proceedings. Frank Agyemang, the Campaign Spokesperson told DAILY GUIDE that the Independent Candidate's team felt they had not been treated well by the State broadcaster, especially when they had been invited to the forum. The objective of the programme, as put up by GBC's Political Broadcast Monitoring and Complaints Committee, is to inform the electorate on the policies and views of the political parties and presidential candidates contesting in election 2008, and also give the electorate an opportunity to listen, discuss and better understand the policies of the various political parties. According to Mr. Agyemang, in an earlier interaction with Kwesi Amoafo-Yeboah when he paid a working visit to GBC, the Director of Radio, Yaw Owusu-Addo assured him of equal and fair access to all political programmes that GBC hoped to undertake with respect to this year's elections. "We will offer equal opportunity and fair access to all political opinions in our planned programme. You can therefore send a representative to take part in the deliberations as an independent presidential candidate", he alleged Mr. Owusu-Addo said. Mr. Agyemang mentioned that Kwesi Amoafo-Yeboah had told officials of GBC that a letter received from the Electoral Commission (EC) indicated that no persons, either representing a political party or acting independently, will be accorded any privileges as presidential candidates until nominations were opened to all persons wishing to contest the 2008 presidential elections. The spokesperson argued that technically, EC was implying that it did not regard any person(s) as Presidential Candidate(s) until all those who wished to offer themselves up for the office had gone through the process of filing the necessary papers with the Commission. He alleged that prior to the visit to GBC, an official from the State broadcaster, called to find out from the office of Kwesi Amoafo-Yeboah whether he had already been acknowledged by the EC before any arrangement could be made for coverage with respect to the working visit. Mr. Agyemang told DAILY GUIDE that at the meeting there was balloting among the various political parties to determine the order of appearance on GBC-TV during the political season. When DAILY GUIDE called Mr. Akuamoah Boateng, Chairman of Political Broadcast Monitoring and Complaints Committee, on his mobile phone, he confirmed the situation but stressed that the meeting was for only political parties and not independent candidates. He contended that letters were written to political parties to attend such a meeting but unfortunately, since they could not locate some of the political parties' offices, there was an announcement to that effect. Mr. Akuamoah-Boateng said based on the announcement made on TV and Radio, most of the independent candidates' representatives showed up. He said there were three other independent candidates from the United Kingdom and other European countries who were ready to contest elections in Ghana. Unfortunately for them, according to Mr. Akuamoah-Boateng. GBC had not made provision for such individuals since their status could not be determined and they were asked to leave. Mr. Armah, who was representing Amoafo-Yeboah, said GBC officials decided that since Amoafo-Yeboah had paid a working visit to GBC and been promised an invitation, it would be fair to allow him to sit in but only as an observer. Mr. Akuamoah-Boateng recommended to the independent candidates that for them to be given the needed recognition, they needed to have some proof from EC that they were recognized entities with intention to contest an election. He assured the independent candidates that GBC was not doing them in but hoped to meet them in their subsequent meetings to straighten things up.
Source: MJFM
