Hot!
Alan knows he can’t win, he can possibly be a kingmaker – Dr Asah-Asante
A Senior Political Science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr Kwame Asah-Asante, has stated that neither the movement by the former Trade Minister, Alan Kyerematen or any other party or individual can win the December 2024 elections.
According to him, Ghana’s two-party system will take a long time to pave way for any third force as has been the case in most two-party systems across the world.
Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express on Wednesday November 22, 2023, following the dismissal of some four New Patriotic Party (NPP) members for supporting Alan Kyerematen’s independent candidacy, Dr Kwame Asah-Asante noted that,“ a third force is a difficulty.
“In other jurisdictions, when you have two strong parties, that is a two-party system, you realize that other parties have been dwarfed. It will take a very long time for you to get a third force “he argued.
Asked whether December 2024 was that time for Ghana, he replied, “No, it is not.”
“A third force is actually a function of proportional representation. When you have such a system, it produces results such as that, and you can get evidence in Germany, Israel, Belgium and the rest of them.”
He, however, noted that in the case of Ghana, until the electoral system changes, the two main parties will continue to remain supreme.
“Other parties will continue to be eclipsed and they’ll be dwarfed.
So movements like that of Alan, the best they can do is to get some significant votes, add to other existing parties to be able to push elections into a second round. That is the best that they can do. We did some work, and if you look at the statistics, from 1992 up to 2020, all the other political parties put together in terms of their average performance, did not go beyond 4%,” he noted.
“So if you are talking about an individual who’s going to come in and cross the threshold of 50% and beyond, I am afraid that is not what Mr Alan Kyerematen is working for. He himself knows that it won’t work.”
What he [Alan Kyerematen] knows is that he can be a kingmaker by pushing the election to a second round where all those who are launching attacks against him that he’s not a candidate for this election and all that will go to him on their knees, that’s all that he’s fighting for. But for winning, he knows that it will not work,” Dr Asah-Asante stated emphatically.
But even on the ability of Mr Kyerematen to push the election into a second round, the Political Science lecturer said it was too early to make that prediction.
Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Mahama, has made a generous donation to the country’s national female Under-17 and Under-20 teams – Black Maidens and Black Princesses- as they continue preparations for major international assignments.
The donation, made on Friday, May 22, was presented on behalf of the First Lady by the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, at the GFA Technical Centre in Prampram.
The gesture forms part of efforts to motivate and support Ghana’s young female footballers as they prepare to represent the country on the international stage.
The donation included essential food items and toiletries aimed at supporting the welfare and well-being of the players and technical teams.
The donation included cartons of Milo, T-rolls, soft drinks, toiletries, and a range of essential supplies aimed at supporting the welfare of the players, enhancing camp conditions, and easing preparations ahead of their respective assignments.
The Black Maidens are currently engaged in preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers and are set to take on Liberia women’s national under-17 football team in the second-leg encounter in Liberia this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Black Princesses have already secured qualification to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after overcoming Uganda in the qualifiers, extending Ghana’s remarkable record to eight consecutive appearances at the tournament.
The donation by the First Lady was expected to boost morale within both camps while reinforcing national support for the young female footballers who continue to make the country proud.
The prosecution has officially rested its case in The Republic v Solomon Asamoah & Another, the high-profile legal battle commonly referred to as the “Sky Train” case.
The Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem Sai announced the development, praising the state’s team of hard-working prosecutors for successfully anchoring the state’s evidence before the High Court.
The criminal trial centers on the former Chief Executive Officer and the former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
The duo stands accused of illegally authorizing and paying out US$2 million to a foreign company without obtaining board directives or other mandatory statutory approvals.
State investigators have confirmed that the disbursed millions cannot be found.
Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, the accused persons moved the court for an opportunity to file a submission of no case.
The presiding judge granted the application, ordering the defense to submit their arguments by June 8.
The outcome of the June 8 filings will decide the fate of the trial:
With this, if the judge finds the defense’s submission convincing, the accused will be acquitted and discharged however, If the judge dismisses the submission, the court will order the accused officials to take the stand and explain why they should not face prison sentences.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
