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ACCRA (Reuters) - Soldiers entered Ghana’s parliament to break up a scuffle between rival lawmakers at odds over last month’s elections, hours before President Nana Akufo-Addo was due to be sworn in on Thursday. The clash underscored the deep tensions following the Dec. 7 election that has led to rare unrest in Ghana, a major cocoa and gold producer seen as a bastion of democracy in West Africa. It started when one member of parliament from the president’s NPP party snatched some paper ballots during an overnight vote to determine the house speaker, according to a source who was present. It was not immediately clear why the lawmaker was angry. Last month’s elections left a hung parliament, without a dominant party to push through the appointment of speaker and other key posts. Footage on local television showed politicians, many of them unmasked, pushing and shoving before about 20 soldiers entered the chamber. Ranks of MPs then faced each other and chanted over a dividing line of masked soldiers and police. Eventually, Alban Bagbin, the candidate from Ghana’s other main party, the NDC, was voted in as speaker. “The attempt to snatch ballot papers … and the invasion of the Chamber by armed military personnel are images one had never expected to see in our 4th Republican Parliament,” said losing presidential candidate John Mahama in a Facebook post congratulating Bagbin. The incident occurred as preparations were underway for the swearing in of Akufo-Addo for his second term at a ceremony on the parliament grounds. Dignitaries from across Africa are expected to attend. Akufo-Addo was declared the winner of last month’s election with 51.59%, ahead of former President Mahama, who got 47.37%. Mahama’s party has said it will contest the results in court, alleging fraud though it has not published evidence. - Reuters
Announcement of the death of former President Rawlings pic.twitter.com/7ext0fp4sd
— Nana Akufo-Addo (@NAkufoAddo) November 12, 2020
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BIKITA residents are up in arms with the local authority for allowing open market traders to camp at Makuvaza Business Centre without observing COVID-19 safety protocols. BY Garikai Mafirakureva Jethro Chuma, who is Bikita Business Community (BBC) committee member, said the open markets exposed them to the pandemic. “Traders at open markets come from all corners of the country. So chances of transmission of the disease are high,” he said. “These cases seem to be spiking again, so they need to be stopped. As residents and BBC, we are not happy at all with these open markets at the moment. The district administrator’s office and Bikita Rural District Council should do something to stop this.” Bikita district development coordinator Bernard Hadzirambwi, who is also district COVID-19 vice- chairperson, refused to comment on the matter and referred all the questions to council chief executive (CEO) Peter Chibi. Chibi said he had asked police to disperse the traders. lFollow Garikai on Twitter @garry4peace
UNITED KINGDOM-BASED Zimbabwean teenager Tawanda Chireva has signed his first professional contract with English third-tier club, League One side Ipswich Town. By Sports Reporter The 17-year-old, who plays as a midfielder, signed a contract that will see him stay at Portman Road until 2022, with the club having an option to extend the contract by a further 12 months. Before signing the contract, Chireva had made just one appearance for Ipswich, coming off the bench in an English Premier League match in November 2019, becoming the youngest debutant in the team’s history at just 16 years and 31 days. Chireva has made one senior appearance for the Blues so far, coming off the bench as a late sub in the EFL Trophy clash at Colchester in November 2019. That appearance made him Town’s second-youngest debutant ever, behind only Connor Wickham, at just 16 years and 31 days old. Ipswich Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. The youngster was born in Chelmsford, United Kingdom to Zimbabwean parents Blessing and Tsitsi Chireva.
THE Media Association Jamaica Limited (MAJ) yesterday expressed disappointment at the apparent disregard shown to its recommendations put forward in respect of the Data Protection Bill, which was passed on June 12 in the House.
Both the MAJ and Press Association of Jamaica, while in support of preserving one's right to data privacy, have for the last two years advocated for changes up to and including complete exemption of media from the Bill on the basis of press freedom principles.
The association said this means, among other things, that:
• There could be subjective determination by the information commissioner for whether exemptions apply when media/journalists (as data controllers) are challenged for publishing personal data (eg picture, name, data of birth, address) [Section 50];
• A data controller will not be able to present his/her case to the information commissioner before a determination is made in respect of an application challenging the use of personal data [eg Section 11 (5)];
• Avenues exist for confidential sources to be exposed, including confiscation of journalistic records, potentially compromising investigative projects, revealing sources and/or putting journalists in danger.
Double compensation is also possible, as this Bill does not explicitly preclude individuals from claiming under this Bill and the Defamation Act [Section 69];
• Claims for breaches can be brought against a data controller at any time, perhaps years after the incident, unlike defamation laws which stipulate limitation periods;
• Culpability will be determined by a judge as opposed to a jury, as occurs under defamation law;
• Fines for individual breaches remain high and imprisonment for individuals still looms.
It is because, whilst there are certain exemptions in this Bill afforded to the media, the average person as a data controller will be fully exposed to many of the above issues, and more.”
There is a shift in usage trends with most people using platforms for entertainment.
HIGHER and Tertiary Education minister Amon Murwira yesterday told Parliament that there was no going back on public examinations set to start next week despite fears that students had lost the bulk of their study time to the COVID-19 lockdown. BY HARRIET CHIKANDIWA Murwira said this during the National Assembly’s question-and-answer session after MPs expressed reservations over students’ state of preparedness. Magwegwe legislator Anele Ndebele (MDC Alliance) said students at private schools were more prepared than their counterparts at public schools where teachers are on strike. But Murwira insisted that students were ready for examinations after receiving some lessons virtually. “The government is trying its best to make sure that there is harmony in the education sector; it is a matter of putting interest in education,” he said. “The Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council is doing its best to prepare for exams, which will not be written in a compromising position. It is up to us as people to prepare for students to sit for exams without anybody being compromised. “There are various ways to make sure that lessons are done, and the ministry provided radio lessons and there is internet. Therefore, there are no ill intentions to harm students. We are faced with a situation where flexibility has to happen.” The minister said government had realised that it “was swimming in dirty water” and could not defer the examinations indefinitely because of COVID-19.
Since embracing the new role as Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) standard-bearer for St Ann North West, Krystal Lee has had to split her time between that constituency and the Retreat division in St Mary Western, where she is the elected councillor.
But Lee said she has not neglected the division even though she has stepped up campaign activity in St Ann North West in a bid to defeat the incumbent member of parliament, Dr Dayton Campbell of the People’s National Party (PNP).
“For me, luckily, I have a very good team in the Retreat division in St Mary.
So whatever it is I can’t do in the division in terms of the representation, for example, say somebody wants us to come to a funeral, he ensures he is there, and that gives me the opportunity to meet with the people of North West St Ann,” Lee said of Robert Montague.
Lee won the division against the PNP’s candidate, Hugh Radway, in November 2016 by 99 votes.
Ghana’s former president Jerry Rawlings, who staged two coups and later led the West African country’s transition to a stable... View Article
The post Ghana’s former president Jerry Rawlings dies at 73 appeared first on TheGrio.
THE LEADERSHIP of the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) has declared itself fit and ready to challenge the ruling Jamaica Labour Party if Prime Minister Andrew Holness calls a general election shortly after winding up states of emergency (SOEs) across the country.
Tuesday’s announcement by National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang that the SOEs will be allowed to expire on July 25 has been viewed as a possible signal that Holness might call an early general election.
And Horace Dalley, member of parliament for Clarendon Northern, said that the party was prepared to face either the general or local government elections separately but also relished the groundbreaking prospect of a two-in-one poll.
Attempts by The Gleaner to contact Director of Elections Glasspole Brown or Chang, the JLP’s general secretary, were unsuccessful, as calls to their mobile phones went unanswered.
Chang’s announcement has set tongues wagging, and at least for political commentator Kevin O’Brien Chang, the possibility that the prime minister could be setting the stage for an election is logical.
“We waan Justiss!” – What is justice?
As the Emergency 2020 Budget debate was being concluded, the revitalized PPP General Secretary - Vice President- Member of Parliament, Comrade Bharrat Jagdeo lamented: “Mr Speaker there are no honest interlocutors on the other side…”
I was and am persuaded that he was, by and large, accurate in assessment and conclusion.
The article Everyday crime, the Minister, the Commissioner appeared first on Stabroek News.
On Saturday 4th July hairdressers and barbers will reopen their doors across England, fifteen weeks since they closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The announcement by the Prime Minister has been welcomed by many who are looking forward to their first haircut in nearly four months. However, these venues will look and operate differently to []
The post Essential advice on staying safe ahead of barbershops and hair salons reopening appeared first on African Voice Newspaper.
WITH calls growing louder for his resignation as Member of Parliament for St Catherine South Central, embattled former energy minister Dr Andrew Wheatley has gone on the offensive describing as damaging, spurious and belligerent, the claims against him in the Petrojam Report released by the Integrity Commission.
