KUFUOR GETS NEW BREATH OF LIFE

October 25, 1998
Culled from Ghana World Wide

SUNYANI, Ghana - Mr John Agyekum Kufuor, lawyer and economist, Prempeh College Class of '58, was Saturday re-elected presidential candidate of the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) to wrestle power with President Jerry Rawling's National Democratic Congress in the 2000 elections. Kufuor, NPP's flagbearer in the 1996 elections, polled 1,286 votes from a field of six candidates at the party's special delegates conference held at the Parish Hall of the Christ the King Catholic Church, Sunyani, the Brong Ahafo regional capital.

The 1,993 delegates gave Nana Akufo-Addo, MP for Abuakwa and spokesman on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, 628 or 31.64 per cent of the votes to place second. Kofi Apraku, MP for Offinso North and Spokesman on Economic Affairs, had 52 or 2.82 per cent of the votes to place third, while Mr Kwame Kodua, NPP acting Ashanti Regional chairman, had eight or 0.44 per cent of the votes to place fourth.

Malik Alhassan Yakubu, MP for Yendi and Spokesman on Youth Affairs, had seven or 0.35 per cent of the votes, and Joseph Henry Mensah, Minority Leader and MP for Sunyani East, three or 0.15 per cent of the votes.

A senior official of Ghana's Electoral Commission, who announced the results, said seven out of the 2,000 delegates did not cast their votes, adding that nine of the votes were also rejected. Kufuor's 64.8 per cent of the ballot makes him the first person to be elected for a second consecutive time as flagbearer of the NPP, having assumed the same position in the 1996 elections.

In his acceptance speech, Kufuor pledged to work in concert with the defeated candidates whom he described as having "outstanding talents" to ensure victory for the party in 2000. He called for a closing of ranks among all supporters of the party and between himself and the defeated candidates.

"I vow to leave no stone unturned in efforts to lead the party to prepare itself thoroughly in all departments. "By so doing, our party will penetrate the hamlets and villages in all the 10 regions for a resounding victory in election 2000," he told the cheering supporters.

The losing candidates took turns to congratulate Kufuor. Nana Akufo-Addo embraced him and conceded defeat even before the officials results were announced.