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Afari Gyan Hot...As Addison Discredits Him On Special Voting Claims
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- Parent Category: Our Country
- Category: Elections & Governance
- Created on Monday, 15 July 2013 00:00
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Afari Gyan Hot...As Addison Discredits Him On Special Voting Claims
Lead Counsel for the petitioners in the ongoing Presidential Election petition on Monday confronted and in the process suggested that Dr. Afari Gyan, Chairman of the Electoral Commission had not been truthful to the court on claims he made on Thursday that the occurrence of duplicate polling station codes was because some of the polling stations were used for special voting.It would be recalled that last Thursday Counsel Philip Addison produced a list of polling station pink sheets which showed that the same polling station codes had been used for different polling station results.
In cross examining Dr. Afari Gyan on them, the Electoral Commission boss informed the court, on almost every single pair, that it was because one of the pair of pink sheets was a record of the results for the special voting as the polling stations had also been used for special voting though he could not point out to the court which specific pink sheets were those for special voting.
Though Counsel Philip Addison suggested that the explanation provided by Dr. Afari Gyan could not stand as some of the polling stations had different names and that special voting did not require the use of pink sheets, Dr. Afari Gyan stood his grounds that the phenomenon of duplicate polling station codes occurred as a result of special voting.
On continuation of his cross examination of the Chairman of the Electoral Commission on Monday however, Philip Addison referred Dr. Afari Gyan to the list of the duplicate polling station codes and the answers Dr. Afari Gyan had given last Thursday.
Counsel Addison sought to know if Dr. Afari Gyan had crosschecked the information he had given the court on Thursday and if he could now specify which particular polling stations were those used for special voting. Dr. Afari Gyan indicated that he hadn’t checked but agreed that certainly special voting did occur in the polling stations listed.
At this juncture, Counsel Philip Addison informed the witness that the petitioners had done their checks and began going through the list and confronting Dr. Afari Gyan on the claims he had made to the court.
Counsel Addison informed Dr. Afari Gyan that the polling stations indicated on numbers 5 and 6 of the list, D/A Primary Atintan and D/A Primary School with the same polling station code – B153103 were in remote villages in the Assin North and that no special voting occurred in any of the two polling stations. He further indicated that the special voting in the Assin North constituency was held at the Methodist Primary School Assin Bereku.
Dr. Afari Gyan, however, could not stand by his position and noted that the information provided by Counsel Addison could be the case but that he had not said that all the polling stations had been used for special voting.
Below is a transcript of the questions and answers of Counsel Addison and Dr. Afari Gyan last Thursday (11th July) and that of Monday (15th July)
Last Thursday Questions and Answers
Mr Addison: Let’s go on to the next one, number 5 and 6.
Dr Afari-Gyan: My Lords. Number 5, the polling station code is B153103, the polling station name is D/A Primary Atintan and the exhibit number is MBV 11. Number 6 the polling station code is the same and the polling station name is D\A Primary School Ghana Camp and the exhibit number is MBV 10.
Mr Addison: Now these two have the same polling station code. Is it the same polling station?
Dr Afari-Gyan: Once again it’s the same situation one for special voting and the other for the main voting.
Mr Addison: Are the polling station names the same?
Dr Afari-Gyan: No.
Mr Addison: So we are looking at two different polling stations having the same polling station code.
Dr Afari-Gyan: My Lords. We are looking at a situation where in the same area, the same polling station code was used for the early voting (special voting) and normal voting took place on the election day.
Monday Questions and Answers on the same Pink Sheets
Addison:– Now, if you look on the list number 5 and 6 are D/A Primary Atintan and D/A Primary School Ghana Camp.
Afari Gyan: – yeah, 5 and 6
Addison: – Now these two polling stations are in villages in the Assin North constituency. Am I right?
Afari Gyan: – my lords I didn’t get the question
Addison: – the question is that these polling stations, 5 and 6 are in polling stations in the Assin North constituency
Afari Gyan: – well I can tell immediately that they are in one region but cannot tell you exactly where they are located in that region
Addison: – furthermore they are in villages which do not even have police stations
Afari Gyan:- my lords I wouldn’t know that
Addison: - I am suggesting to you that special voting in this constituency took place at Methodist Primary, Assin Breku
Afari Gyan: – my lords I have not said that all the polling stations on this list were used for special voting
Addison: – well that is why we are going through. Now what is your answer to that, I am suggesting to you that the special voting for this particular constituency took place at the Methodist Primary Assin Breku
Afari Gyan: – My Lords it could well have been
Counsel Addison moved on to numbers 13 and 14 on the list. These, as had been stated by Dr. Afari Gyan on Thursday, refer to MINING DAWN ICT CENTRE MPATABA and MPATABA COMMUNITY CENTRE all with the same polling station code A012702.
Lawyer Addison informed Dr. Afari Gyan that these two polling stations are in Mpataba, a community in the Jomoro Constituency and that no special voting took place in the two polling stations. He further stated that the special voting for the Jomoro constituency took place at Half Assini and specifically at the Half Assini District Assembly.
Dr. Afari Gyan, however, again shifted from his answers last Thursday and said that all though the information provided by Counsel Philip Addison could be true, he had never said that the polling stations were used for special voting.
Counsel Philip Addison moving on to numbers 15 and 16 on the list which referred to Canteen Savelugu and D/A Primary School Kpalan all with the polling station code H180403 stated that the two polling stations were in the Savelugu Constituency in the Northern Region and that no special voting was held in any of the two polling stations. He further stated that the special voting for the savelugu constituency was held at the Savelugu Police Station.
Again, Dr. Kwadwo Afari Gyan stated that all he could confirm was that the polling stations were in the Northern Region and that the information provided by Counsel for the petitioners “may well have been” but shifted from his position again on Thursday, this time saying that he had not said that the polling station was used for special voting.
Below is a transcript of the questions and answers of Counsel Addison and Dr. Afari Gyan on Thursday and that of Monday on Numbers 15 and 16 of the list
Last Thursday (11th July) Questions and Answers
Dr Afari-Gyan: Number 15, the polling station code is H180403 and the name is Canteen Savalugu, the exhibit number MBV000002, 16 has the same polling station code H180403 and the polling station name is D/A Primary School Kpalan and the exhibit number is MBV000003.
Mr Addison: Here again the polling station names are different but they share the same polling station code, is that not the case?
Dr Afari-Gyan: Yes, it’s a similar situation where one was used as the Special voting centre and the other was a normal polling station
Mr Addison: Dr. Afari Gyan you are misleading the court, you have given the names of two different polling stations they are not the same. You have just told the court that one is Canteen, Savelugu and the other is Kpalan, clearly they are not the same,
Afari Gyan: yes I agree the names are not the same but there is a situation where one was used as a special voting centre.
Addison: I thought that all along you have been saying that if it is special voting, it will be the same polling station, now we have a situation which there are two different polling stations sharing the same polling station code. It is there on the face of the pink sheet.
Dr Afari-Gyan: Yes, they are different names.
Monday Questions (15th July) and Answers on the same Pink Sheets
Mr Addison: – Now, can you tell us the polling stations on numbers 15 and 16 of the list
Dr Afari Gyan: – 15 is Canteen, Savelugu and 16 is D/A Primary School Kpalan
Mr Addison: – now these two polling stations are in the Savelugu constituency
Dr Afari Gyan: – they are all in the northern region
Mr Addison: – And no special voting took place in either polling station
Dr Afari Gyan: – my lords once again I did not say that special voting took place in all polling stations on this list. I said in some cases they are A and B
Mr Addison: – Now am further suggesting to you that in Savelugu, special voting took place at the Savelugu Police Station.
Dr Afari Gyan: – My Lords it may well have been
Counsel Addison also pointed to numbers 17 and 18 on the list referring to ADDA PRIMARY SCHOOL ‘A’ and BALOBIA JHS ‘B’ all bearing the same polling station code J031203. He informed the court that the two polling stations were all in the Navrongo Central Constituency in the Upper East Region and that no special voting had taken place in any of the two polling stations. He further stated that the special voting in the Navrongo Central constituency took place at the Navrongo District Police station.
Dr. Afari Gyan again responded by saying that all he could confirm was that the polling stations were in the Upper East Region and that the information provided by the petitioners could be true but said that he had not stated that all special voting took place at the stated polling stations.
Counsel Addison proceeded to numbers 19 and 20 on the list, Bulbog and Bulbog Market B polling stations respectively with the same polling station code J072005. He stated that the polling stations were in the Duusi community in the Talensi Constituency of the Upper East region and that no special voting occurred in the two polling stations. He further informed the court that the special voting for the Talensi constituency was held at the Talensi Community Centre.
Dr. Afari Gyan stated that all he could confirm was that they were in the Upper East Region and that the information provided by the petitioners could be true but said he had not said that the polling stations were used for special voting.
Below is a transcript of the questions and answers of Counsel Addison and Dr. Afari Gyan on Thursday and that of Monday on Numbers 19 and 20 of the list
Last Thursday (11th July) Questions and Answers
Mr Addison: Let’s go on to the next one.
Dr Afari-Gyan: 19, the polling station code is J072005 and the polling station name is given as Bulbog and the exhibit number is MBV 000010. Number 20, you have the same polling station code but the polling station name is Bulbog market B and the exhibit number MBV 000011.
Mr Addison: These are also two polling stations sharing the same polling station codes?
Dr Afari-Gyan: Yes. But used for the same purposes as I have mentioned before
Monday (15th July) Questions and Answers on the same Pink Sheets
Mr Addison: – Now let’s look at 19 and 20
Dr Afari Gyan: – 19 is bulbog and 20 is bulbog market B
Mr Addison: – Now these two polling stations are in Duusi, a village in the Talensi Constituency
Dr Afari Gyan: – My Lords they are in the Upper East Region
Mr Addison: –And no special voting took place in either polling station
Dr Afari Gyan: – My lords I have not said so
Mr Addison: – Special voting in the Talensi constituency took place at the Talensi Community Centre
Dr Afari Gyan: – My Lords it may well have been
Again, on numbers 21 and 22 of the list which refer to NURUL ISLAM PRIMARY B and ANINGAZANGA JHS with the same polling station code J050702B, Counsel Addison stated that these were in the Bolgantanga central constituency and that no special voting occurred in the two places. He further stated that the special voting in the Bolga central constituency was held at the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs.
To these two pairs, Dr. Afari Gyan stated that all he could confirm was that they were in the Upper East Region and that the information provided by the petitioners could be true but said he had not said that the polling stations were used for special voting.
Dr. Afari Gyan had earlier in his examination in chief and cross examination said that all polling stations are supposed to have unique polling station codes and no two polling stations should share the same code as the polling station code is the best identifier of a polling station.
The lead counsel for the petitioners in ending his line of questioning on the subject asked Dr. Afari Gyan if all the pink sheets showing different results and sometimes different names but with the same polling station code formed part of his declaration of John Mahama as winner of the elections. Dr. Afari Gyan confessed that yes the all those results were added to his final declaration.
Source: Communications Directorate, NPP/Ghana
