President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addohas assured the international community that Ghana’s upcoming general elections will be free, fair, and transparent.
He reaffirmed the nation’s dedication to upholding democratic values and the rule of law, outlining the steps being taken to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process.
Speaking during the world leaders’ address at the annual UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, he stated, “As my presidency draws to a close, I want to assure this assembly that the upcoming 2024 elections in Ghana will be free, fair and transparent.
“Ghanaians have demonstrated time and again in the last three decades the strong attachment to democracy, which they will not permit to be undermined.
“The EC supported by Ghana’ssecurity services is well equipped to ensure that the will of the Ghanaian people is well respected.”
Electoral Commission (EC) officials in the Ashanti Region have initiated steps to remove around 580 names from the Manhyia South voter register, following a court order.
The action was prompted after the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the constituency flagged irregularities during the voter transfer exercise and sought legal clarification.
On Tuesday, the Kumasi Magistrate Court, presided over by Her Worship Deborah Gyaawa Donkor, directed the EC to return the affected voters to their original constituencies.
Speaking with Citi News, NPP Manhyia South Constituency Secretary, Alhaji Haruna Alhassan, emphasised that the party would ensure the ruling is fully implemented.
He also urged other NPP stronghold constituencies to check for similar anomalies and seek legal redress where necessary.
“It was during the transfer that we, the NPP in the Manhyia South constituency, became conscious about certain things relative to the transfer of votes to the constituency.
“We became conscious because the transfers to the constituency were not normal to us, but per the LI, there is nothing we could have done…During the exhibition, we followed up and found out that about five or six polling stations out of the 107 polling stations we have in Manhyia South have had some abnormal transfers.”
“For example, we had about 150 transfers to St. Loius Training College of Education…So we sent the matter to court, and we appeared before the court five times.
So eventually yesterday the court ordered that 580 people who were transferred to Manhyia South during the transfer period should be sent back to where their votes were originally. We are going to follow up on that and make sure that the right thing is done,” he stated.
The UN General Assemblyvotes 185-2 to condemn the US embargo on Cuba, marking the 30th time the UN has condemned the decades-old US policy.
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has strongly condemned the United States embargo on Cuba, which Havana has demanded be lifted amid the Caribbean island’s economic crisis.
On Thursday, 185 countries overwhelmingly supported a non-binding resolution condemning the embargo, with the United States and Israel voting against and Brazil and Ukraine abstaining.
It was the UN’s 30th vote condemning the US policy, which has been in place for decades.
“The United States opposes this resolution, but we stand with the Cuban people and will continue to seek ways to provide meaningful support to them,” US Political Coordinator, John Kelley, told the UNGA on Thursday.
“If the United States government was really interested in the welfare, human rights and self-determination of Cubans, it could lift the blockade,” countered Yuri Gala, Cuba’s deputy representative at the UN.
The US imposed the embargo in 1960, following the Cuban revolution led by Fidel Castro and the nationalisation of properties belonging to US citizens and corporations.
Two years later the measure – which prohibits trade between the two countries, among other restrictions – was strengthened.
US President Barack Obama took considerable steps to ease tensions with Cuba during his time in office, including formally restoring US-Cuba relations and making a “historic” visit to Havana in 2016.
That year, the US also abstained for the first time during a UN vote condemning the embargo.
Former US President Donald Trump, however, scrapped such efforts and took a more hardline approach, stepping up sanctions and rolling back steps towards normalisation.
Current President Joe Biden’s administration has not deviated substantially from Trump’s policies but has taken a handful of steps to relax restrictions on remittances and flights to Cuba.
Tensions between Havana and Washington also have escalated over issues such as migration, security, and regional relations in recent months.
Ahead of Thursday’s UN vote, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez accused the Biden administration of continuing down a path of “maximum pressure”. Rodriguez said that during Biden’s 14 months in office, the embargo had cost the Cuban economy about $6.35bn.
US representatives countered that economic penalties were a response to human rights abuses by the Cuban government, which cracked down on protests in July 2021 demanding political freedom and better economic conditions.
Cuba has sanctioned nearly 400 people for participation in the protests, giving many lengthy prison sentences.
Havana has pushed back against criticism of its human rights record. “Cuba does not need lessons on democracy and human rights, much less from the United States,” Gala said on Thursday.
The UN General Assembly (UNGA) overwhelmingly approved a resolution on Wednesday telling Russia its annexation of four Ukrainian zones is illegal and not valid.
Ghana was among the 143 countries that voted in favour of the resolution, 15 abstained from the exercise and 5 rejected the resolution including Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskycalled the resolution “historic” in a tweet and thanked the states that voted in favor.
Grateful to 143 states that supported historic #UNGA resolution “Territorial integrity of Ukraine: defending the principles of the UN Charter”. The world had its say – RF’s attempt at annexation is worthless & will never be recognized by free nations. 🇺🇦 will return all its lands pic.twitter.com/FupYPfZz8M
During the assembly’s emergency special session on Ukraine, US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the vote “is important not just to the future of Ukraine and the future of Europe, but to the very foundations of this institution.”
“After all, the UN was built on an idea: that never again would one country be allowed to take another’s territory by force,” Thomas-Greenfield added.
The US diplomat said the resolution calls for peace and de-escalation, and “makes clear that we reject Russia’s attempted annexations. That we reject this affront to territorial integrity, to national sovereignty, to peace and security.”
She noted that “today it is Russia invading Ukraine. But tomorrow it could be another nation whose territory is violated. You could be next. What would you expect from this chamber?”
“So let us send a clear message today: these United Nations will not tolerate attempts at illegal annexation. We will never recognize it. These United Nations will not tolerate seizing a neighbor’s land by force. We will stand up to it. These United Nations will not tolerate the destruction of the UN Charter. We will defend it,” she told the assembly.
“Our message Today is loud and clear: It does not matter if you, as a nation, are big or small, rich or poor, old or new. If you are a UN Member State, your borders are your own and are protected by international law. They cannot be redrawn by anyone else by force.” Thomas-Greenfield added.
A United Nations human rights team says rape cases are now so frequent in South Sudan that many women choose not to bother reporting frequent sexual assaults.
Even those who have been gang-raped repeatedly during the country’s prolonged conflict lack access to medical and trauma care.
Some women have been raped up to five times in the last nine years, the panel said.
“Just imagine what it means to be raped by multiple armed men, pick yourself up for the sake of your children, and then for it to happen again and again and again,” said Yasmin Sooka, the chairperson of the panel.
In several villages in Western Equatoria State and Unity State – where fighting is ongoing – there is no medical care for rape victims, the panel said.
“Women raped by armed forces while collecting firewood are threatened with death if they report it,” said Prof Andrew Clapham, a member of the panel.
The experts have been participating in meetings at the UN General Assembly in New York to speak about the situation in South Sudan.
21st of September on the United Nations calendar is celebrated as the International Day of Peace. The UN General Assemblyhas declared the day as one devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, by observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire.
The main purpose of this is to achieve world peace.
Edem Farrie is a UN Youth Ambassador who also is a reporter with GH One television, and a fashion model. As an ambassador, her role is to join the universal call to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and security.
She shares a message about world peace. In her message, she made this statement: “Fellow youth, peace is critical to security, and security is critical to peace.
In solitude, gather your thoughts and be reflective upon the causes of our chaos and the gravity of our losses as humans. In times of dispute, use reasoning and dialogue for your resolutions.
When blades are drawn, blood is likely to spill. Be still, be collected and be a champion for peace and the security of humanity. Thank you, Youth Network for UN Security Council for your commitment to resolution 2250).
Edem Farrie has worked on intriguing stories which relate to general health, women in society, and COVID-19; given talks at various seminars on domestic violence against women and engaged in philanthropic activities as well.
In her first public address as prime ministeron a world platform, Ms. Truss called the Russian president’s threat to use “all means at our disposal” to defend his nation “sabre rattling.”
Vladimir Putin’s nuclear threats are part of a desperate attempt to justify his “catastrophic” failure in Ukraine, Liz Truss has said.
In her first speech on the world stage as prime minister, Ms Truss accused the Russian president of “sabre rattling” after he said that his country would use “all the means at our disposal” to protect itself.
The comments appeared to suggest the conflict in Ukraine could spiral into a nuclear crisis.
Ms Truss said Mr Putin was “desperately trying to justify his catastrophic failures” in her address to the United Nations General Assembly (Unga) in New York.
“He is doubling down by sending even more reservists to a terrible fate,” she said.
“He is desperately trying to claim the mantle of democracy for a regime without human rights or freedoms.
“And he is making yet more bogus claims and saber-rattling threats.”
Ms Truss praised the “strength of collective purpose” in response to Mr Putin’s invasion so far, but said that aid for Ukraine must not wane.
And she told other world leaders that the UK will spend 3% of GDP on defence by 2030, repeating a promise she made when she campaigned to become Tory leader.
She added: “In the face of rising aggression we have shown we have the power to act and the resolve to see it through. But this must not be a one-off.
“This must be a new era in which we commit to ourselves, our citizens, and this institution that we will do whatever it takes – whatever it takes to deliver for our people and defend our values.”
Speaking at the UN General Assembly, he said Russia has made “irresponsible nuclear threats” and that “a nuclear war cannot be won and can never be fought”.
His comments come just hours after Vladimir Putin warned the West he was not bluffing about the potential use of nuclear weapons.
Mr Biden said Russia has “attempted to erase a sovereign state from the map”, adding that the war is about “extinguishing Ukraine’s right to exist as a state, plain and simple”.
“Wherever you are, that should make your blood run cold.”
