22nd October 2004

Vol 45 N0 21

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Ghana GHANA

Smelling an elephant

The election was bad tempered even before it began and a car crash made it worse

A road crash recalled the bad old days, dramatically opening the race for presidential and parliamentary elections due on 7 December. The victim was Alhaji Mohamed Mumuni, set to run for the vice-presidency alongside John Atta Mills for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC). His mysterious accident occurred on 28 September; the parties must file their nominations with the Electoral Commission by 21 October. Mumuni was apparently returning home in the middle of the night after answering a telephone call, when his car ended upside down in a ditch. He is recovering in hospital with his left thigh in plaster. NDC General Secretary Nii Josiah Aryeh, referring to the elephant symbol of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), claimed 'I smell an elephant'. NDC members including Youth Organiser Haruna Iddrisu sought to make political capital out of the incident. But no other car was involved, and John Dramani Mahama, Mumuni's rival for the vice-presidential slot, called for an end to speculation until Mumuni could explain what had happened....

(This article contains approximately 1569 words)

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