... cocaine dealer would buy Ghana, If ...
... opinion polls were faked

A medical doctor and one of the NPP presidential hopefuls, Dr Kobina Arthur Kennedy has assured footsoldiers of the party that he would never abandon them if he is elected flagbearer and subsequently, as President of Ghana.

He said when NPP was in opposition they promised to ensure unity and compassion for all foot soldiers and Ghanaians as a whole, but after winning power the party started practising what he termed as "power for those in power".

Addressing a handful of his party people in Bolgatanga, he promised to consult party executives in the appointment of DCEs and regional ministers when voted President. They would be the ones to present the list of the people they would like to be their DCEs and regional ministers for him to approve of, he stated.

Dr Kwabena Arthur Kennedy also cautioned NPP delegates who would be voting to elect their presidential candidate to be mindful of some of the aspirants who have been going round splashing money on them because the source of the money could be a questionable one.

He regretted that people are only interested in the money being displayed by these aspirants without bothering to find out the source the money was raised from. If we do not take our time, one cocaine dealer would just take his money and buy this country and put our lives in danger,he said. He therefore advised the delegates to vote according to their conscience to elect the right leader who would be capable of leading the country.

Arthur Kennedy said opinion polls that were putting some of the aspirants ahead of others were faked. He alleged that some of the aspirants had paid money for the polls to be conducted in their favour. According to him, he was approached by one of the conductors of the polls to pay money for him to be put ahead of others but he refused.

He said if he is elected as flagbearer, he would appoint 3 chiefs of staff and deputies to ensure that things were more decentralized. In other to be acquainted with the problems of the party and the national executives, he said he would visit the party's headquarters once in a week.

The aspirant regretted that too many people were dying in Ghana as a result of dirt, especially in the cities. He observed that, it was difficult for people in Accra and Kumasi to respond to nature call as a result of inadequate toilet facilities, thereby resulting in indiscriminate excreting of human waste. These were causing cholera, malaria and typhoid. Lunatics were also going about polluting the environment.

He promised to build these facilities in the universities and other tertiary institutions as well as all filling stations throughout the country. He would also launch a nationwide hand wash campaign. He also promised to invest in the education of the poor to reduce crime in the country.

Dr Kwabena Arthur Kennedy advised all politicians to stop trading insults on one another and focus on fighting corruption saying, insults have never healed the sick, neither built a bridge nor fed a hungry child. He said he would also use technology to create jobs and bring about development.

He also noted that with the right combination of technology, the three northern regions could feed the whole of Africa forever. Frustrated over the country's underdevelopment despite its rich natural resources, Dr Kennedy said, want to be President because if I have power, I can transform this country.

The medical doctor said he had a good relationship with all the aspirants and if he were made the flagbearer of the party, it would be easier to receive and work with them.

He dismissed assertions that he was too young to become President, citing Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Tony Blair, Bill Clinton and others who became rulers and leaders of their countries at a young and tender age.

…That the First Lady had packed out and was living with her 41 year old, Accountant son

Reports reaching your authoritative Ghana Palaver indicate that all is not well in the matrimonial home of Ghana’s first lady Mrs. Theresa Kufuor.

The First Lady had parked out of the matrimonial home and was living with her 41 year-old Accountant son because, according to sources close to the President’s residence, she is not happy with the President’s amorous affairs.

Mama Theresa is back in the matrimonial home upon the advise of some well meaning Ghanaians but family sources say, she is not happy at all and that had it not being for the fact that the President has some few more months left of his term in office, the first lady would have asked for a divorce.

The source said for sometime now, Mama Theresa has been complaining about her husband’s respect for her as the mother of his children and she suspect she is not getting her husband’s respect because of the women who come in contact with him in the cause of his duties.

The news of the first lady’s temporary exit from her matrimonial home disturbed most concerned Ghanaians and set tongues waging as some think the situation would not be a good precedence for the up and coming young men and women trying to get into marriage.

The family source said this is not the first time the first lady has threatened to divorce the President, it happened before the 2001 elections when Mama Theresa sought the help of the then Catholic Bishop of Accra, Bishop Andoh to do away with her husband, but the old Catholic Father, rather advised her not to carry out her threat more especially at a time her husband had won elections, it would not speak well of her and the in-coming President.

The first lady took the advice of Bishop Andoh and went back to her husband and has since tried very hard to make the marriage work but her expectation that because of old age, the president would amend his amorous affairs, has not materialized.

According staffers working in the President’s residence, the first lady and the President have had a lot of troubles over female official staffers who accompany the President on his travels and non staffers who call on the President daily without any regard for the first lady.

Some observers said the President is behaving like his friend George W. Bush, the American President, whose wife, Auntie Laura, has also packed out of her matrimonial home.

Another said even though former American President Bill Clinton had problems with his marriage because of the Lewinsky affair, Hilary Clinton never left her husband’s side, adding that “birds of the same feathers flock together, no wonder Mama Theresa has been in and out of the matrimonial home”.

A female member of parliament had this to say when she heard what was happening to the first lady, “Nineteen years of the Rawlings’ never gave Ghanaians any anxious moment to worry about the first couple but we have a lot to worry about hearing what is happening with Kufuor household”.

Most Ghanaians, who have heard the news, seem worried and are seriously praying that the first lady, Mama Theresa at least wait till her husband is out of power before she carries out her threat of divorce.

Some concerned citizens are also worried and are seeking the intervention of the Almighty Lord to soften the heart of the President and give him the wisdom for him to be able to combine his official duties with his family matters.

Many are also looking for ways they can appeal to the President to do all in his power to make peace prevail in the matrimonial home because the young are looking up to the first couple and other older citizens to give them good examples to go by.

Committee to Prepare Cabinet Memo on Nuclear Power
Kwabenya, May 21, GNA - The Minister of Education, Science and Sports said on Monday that the government had set up a Committee to prepare a cabinet memorandum with recommendations for introducing nuclear power in the country's energy mix.

Papa Owusu-Ankomah said the move had become necessary in view of the country's current problem of inadequate supply of electricity to meet industrial and domestic purposes.

The Minister was delivering the keynote address at a three-day Training Course on the International Legal Framework Governing Nuclear safety, Security, Safeguards and Liability for Nuclear Damage organised by the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) in collaboration with the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) at Kwabenya, near Accra.

Papa Owusu-Ankomah noted that, for many years, the IAEA had assisted member-states at their request in developing their domestic legal arrangements for regulating the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and ionising radiation as mandated by the IAEA's statute.

"In Ghana, there has been the expansion of the uses of nuclear techniques in a variety of fields such as health and medicine, agriculture, industry and environment since the establishment of the GAEC by an Act of Parliament..".

He said among the issues to be discussed by the Committee is the legal, regulatory and legislative instruments.

"This training course is therefore not only timely but also of paramount importance in assisting us to prepare ourselves to ensure that we do not breach any international legal instrument in our quest to solve our problems, particularly by incorporating internal guidance documents of foreign law provisions into our national legislation."

Eighty-four participants comprising personnel from the National Security Council, University of Ghana, Legon, GAEC, Ghana National Fire Service, the media and students of School of Nuclear and Allied Science (SNAS) of the GAEC are attending the workshop.

On May 2- 4, 2007, Ghana’s Electoral Commission hosted a conference in Accra to learn from the experiences of other countries in implementing overseas voting. Representatives from electoral management bodies in Mexico and Mali were in attendance. The conference was sponsored by the Stockholm based - International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA). The theme was not whether ROPAA should be implemented now or later but how to ensure that the majority of qualified Ghanaians Living Abroad (GLAs) exercise their constitutional franchise when the ballot box goes to them and avoid the bad experiences of other countries. I offer below the experiences of three countries in overseas voting: Mexico, Senegal and Cape Verde.

MEXICO

At the IDEA meeting in Accra, a representative from Mexico, Carlos Navarro, is reported to have cautioned Ghana to implement its new law only slowly. The Ghana law came into being after a parliamentary vote; and signed by the President on February 24, 2006 as the Representation of the People’s Amendment Act (ROPAA). It accords its citizens living abroad, who are 18years or older and of sound mind, the right to vote in Ghana’s national elections. Previous to the February 2006 amendment, only Ghanaians serving in military missions abroad, foreign service personnel and government–sponsored scholarship recipients could vote in Ghana’s elections from abroad. The new ROPAA extends this constitutional right to the bigger group of GLAs. Mr. Navarro added that it took Mexico nine years from the passage of its bill to its implementation and then the results were dismal. Let us remove the veil from the Mexican story and identify where things actually went wrong for Mexico so Ghana does not repeat them. I do not know whether Mr. Navarro was misquoted but Mexico passed its law to extend the voting franchise to its estimated 10 million living outside the country in February 2005 and the actual voting was done in July 2006. Perhaps Mr. Navarro meant to say that the issue was debated for nine years; similar to Ghana’s that was started during the NDC administration. Mexico’s historic law restricted voting by Mexicans Living Abroad (MLAs) to only Presidential elections. (Though Ghana’s law in contrast is inclusive of all national elections an initial implementation phase could concentrate on the Presidential only to minimize mishaps). It was expected that some 4 million MLAs would vote either in person at the embassies and consulates or by mail-in absentee ballots. The actual result was that the absentee ballots only yielded 57,000 according to a later study by the Pew Hispanic Center. Certainly, the first-ever attempt by Mexico to allow absentee ballots from its MLAs was anything but a success-why?

In the Pew study they found that about half of the Mexicans interviewed said that they did not receive enough information to know how to register for the absentee vote or that the procedures were too difficult and complicated. Only 7% of those polled correctly stated the deadline for voting; that they could vote by registered mail; and knew the credentials required to register. The lesson that should be learned from the Mexican experience is that early voter education is a MUST. Clarity of communication of the requirements for eligibility is PARAMOUNT and simplicity of instructions is VALUABLE. Mr. Carlos Navarro told his audience in Ghana that Mexico with greater resources than Ghana could not succeed. What he failed to add is that the Mexican Federal Election Institute budgeted some $140 million to implement its first overseas voting but received only $17.5 million (12.5%) - The lesson is that you get what you pay for and don’t be too proud to ask others for help. I don’t think Ghana has a problem in this department since over 40% of its elections’ costs are currently underwritten by international bodies. A persistent refrain of opponents of Ghana’s ROPAA is that the ruling government will use it to steal elections. Of course whichever party is out of power will accuse the other of such ill-will - such is the nature of politics so let us move beyond that. The 2006 Mexican election was the closest in its history; 35.9% (15 million) voted for the winning candidate versus 35.3% (14.8 million) for the closest second. In the predictable ensuing protests no one ascribed blame to malfeasance in the administration of the overseas votes.

SENEGAL

Senegal has had two elections in which Senegalese Living Abroad (SLAs) have voted- first in 2001 and then most recently in 2007. There are an estimated 60,000 Senegalese living in the United States but only 4,755 registered to vote for the 2007 election. SLAs have been limited in these initial overseas elections to Presidential only with plans to include them in legislative elections as the system matures. According to the Columbia Journalist, voters for the 2007 Presidential elections complained of the delay in receiving their new electronic voter identification cards. All Senegalese voters, both at home and abroad, had to apply for the card, which includes their picture and digitized information (similar to Ghana’s National ID card exercise).The cards destined for the U.S never arrived in time for the election, and duplicates were made, delaying the process. Several Bronx, New York, voters arrived on the election day with their receipt to prove they had registered, and picked up their card in the polling station right before voting.

Despite the problems, voters were not deterred. People made their way to exercise their right to vote, and to maintain their deep-seated connection to life back home. "Politics represents a person's priorities in life, if you don't participate, they will make the decisions without you." said Youssouphe Ba. "It is my duty as a citizen to vote," said Mariama Massaly, a first-time voter. "If I did not vote and something bad was to happen, I would feel responsible that my vote could have made the difference." Once again the lesson is clear- early preparation; communication of expectations and well-managed logistics are imperative for success and participation. Yes, the desire to participate is there and translates into numbers with clear and advance communication.

CAPE VERDE

On the African continent Cape Verde has the longest history of participation in its elections by Capeverdians Living Abroad (CVLAs), going back at least sixteen years. Cape Verde has progressed beyond Presidential-only elections for CVLAs to include them in the National Assembly Elections. In the 2001 Presidential Elections 32.7% of the registered CVLAs voted compared to 59% of the total votes; and in 2006, the percentage of registered CVLAs who voted was 22% compared to 53% of the total voters. In the 2006 elections, CVLAs living in Africa recorded the highest number of participation (43%), followed by those in the USA (24%); and 16% in Europe. It is no accident that well over 25% of Cape Verde’s Gross Domestic Product of $3billion comes from the remittances of its CVLAs. The 2007 Cape Verde Presidential election was the closest in its history with the winner, Pedro Pires, getting 86,583 (50.98%) of the votes against his opponent, Carlos Veiga getting 83,241 (49.02%). The results were accepted and no one indicted the CVLAs’ votes as fraudulent.

Lessons from the Cape Verde experience are encouraging. Certainly most voting overseas do not yield huge turnouts in the beginning (which belies all the fears and calls to wait beyond 2008 for Ghana). However when overseas voting is implemented consistently and with clear and early communication of all requirements and logistics, it fosters improved participation; citizenry is inclusive and this eventually translates into economic gains for the country far outweighing the financial cost of conducting the overseas elections.

So forward march, Ghana and 2008 is just the time to implement ROPAA but don’t wait until November 2008! We must expect to learn and improve as we go along and no learning will occur if the activity is forever postponed. No one makes light of the energy crisis currently facing Ghana. That is one of several developmental issues the country must deal with and when this is overcome something else will crop up- such is life. Could one method of solving our myriad and continual flow of problems be a more active and organized engagement with GLAs in ways that encompass money, skills, ideas and even taxes through treaties with their countries of domicile? Don’t read me wrong- I am not making the payment of taxes a criterion to vote since that is not part of Ghana’s constitutional requirements to register. I am speaking about going beyond the first toll gate and let the goodness and mercies of GLAs follow always into our country- register them and draw them in via the voting exercise.

By the way, it may be fun for an opposition party to walk out on meetings and parliamentary votes on issues not to their liking such as ROPAA but it is interesting that Ghana’s current Constitution of 1992 was approved by a parliament that did not include the current ruling group yet they respect it as the law of the land and are working with it. Why then, can’t we come together to make the same constitution work for all? The law has been passed. The democratic process sweeping Africa and the growing globalization cannot be stopped. Candles must be lit rather than curse the darkness (no pun). All the major political parties will do well to come out of their shells and develop strategies for voter education of GLAs. This will mean cooperating with the Electoral Commission and not shunning or boycotting their invitations. That will only hurt one’s cause as advantage is yielded to the opponent simply based on unfounded and unscientific fear. GLAs should on their part flock to Ghana Missions to file for their dual citizenship papers and get themselves ready to be part of history. Change is not easy but embracing it has boldness and opportunity embedded in it. May Ghana be the first country to score the highest percentage of first time overseas voter participation in the world’s history come December 2008. The record is there to be claimed but we must all cheer the same team just as we did for the Black Stars at the 2006 World Cup. We may wear different political colors but there is only one team- Ghana- and one goal- progress that includes all at all times.

How can the West help Africa? A global Q&A

Saturday, 10 cities around the world will host some of pop music's biggest names as part of the "Live 8" concert series ( www.live8live.com). Organizer Bob Geldof hopes large turnouts will pressure the Group of Eight (G-8) industrialized nations, meeting in Scotland next week, to help put "an end to poverty" in Africa. He also hopes the rock shows will boost awareness about Africa's plight - and how the wealthy world can help.

The Monitor decided to find out what some Western concertgoers really know about Africa, and where there is - and isn't - common ground with Africans.

 

Our correspondents spoke with eight ticket-holders for concerts in Philadelphia, London, and Rome. They also interviewed eight people in Senegal and Nigeria, two indebted African nations.

As it turns out, the two groups have different priorities. Nearly every Westerner mentioned HIV/AIDS as a top African problem. Only one African did. Every African cited poverty as a major worry. And most wanted investment - not aid.

We also asked some lighter questions. Could the Westerners name even one African leader? (Only half could.) Did the Africans know what U2 is? (Most didn't).

The Africans universally agreed that their continent is culturally richer than many Westerners can imagine, but that their leaders are fundamentally corrupt. That's why this group all advocated that "strings" be tied to aid to prevent it from going astray.

What Africans, Westerners know about each other

George David Malik, a bartender from Dakar, Senegal.

What is the biggest problem facing Africa? Poverty. In Senegal, the capital [Dakar] looks nice, but in small towns people sometimes have only one meal per day. Prostitution is growing in Dakar because people need money. Girls who are 14 or 15 years old leave school and go to nightclubs to meet men and get money to support their families. Then come health problems, and there are no services for them. Finding work is difficult.

Will debt relief, one of the G-8 proposals, help Africa? Because of the debt, the population pays the price. The cost of sugar and food increases because the state cannot pay [interest on loans from rich nations]. Each time the regime changes, the new one has to pay the old one's debt, but really it's the people who pay.

What should people know about Africa that they probably don't? Family comes first.... We respect our parents and do what they tell us to. Also, we are not like Europeans - you have one or two children. Me, I am one of six children - three boys and three girls. I live at home with all of them.

Name the heads of state for the following countries (where the five main Live 8 concerts are being held):

United States: George Bush

Britain: The guy there, Bush's friend. Is it Tony Blair?

Italy: They have a queen, don't they? No, I only know the pope.

Germany: No idea.

France: Wait, why can't I remember? Wait a sec. No, I forget.

	Ousmane Kane

Ousmane Kane of Saint Louis, Senegal, a student at the University of Dakar.

What is Africa's biggest problem? Civil wars. People are fighting over money and wealth - or to become a president so they can get rich.

Do you think the G-8's plans will help? To help us, they should not give money. That will only make us less happy. The people who need it most don't get it. Only the big politicians get to keep it for themselves.

 

Charles Okolie, a student at the University of Lagos, in Nigeria.

	Charles Okolie

On what should Africa's leaders spend money they save from debt relief? Education.

What do you think they'll spend it on? They'll embezzle the money - take it to the US and open an account for their families.

How can the West best help Africa? Invest in us, especially in us students. [And] encourage us by ... awarding scholarships.

Mustzapha Diop of Kaola, Senegal, a student at the University of Dakar.

Which helps more, trade or aid? Even if we are given billions of dollars, it's like all the other billions of dollars that disappeared. The West must invest in Africa and help us develop our agriculture sector and our factories. Look at India. It is poor, overpopulated, and underdeveloped, but it produces enough to support itself.

Genevieve Faye of Joal, Senegal, who is studying human rights at the University of Dakar.

What should people know about Africa that they probably don't? Our warmth, and that our family is the most important thing. That is our wealth - always helping each other out.

Christina Leto, a lawyer from New York who's working in London and will be attending the concert there.

	Christina Leto

Why are you going to Live 8? To be honest, because it'll be a lot of fun to see all those bands.

What impact will this concert have on Africa? In the long run, not much. Initially people will think about Africa's problems, but then, like everything else, people forget.

Dave Slimings, a graphic designer from Brighton, England.

What should wealthy nations do to help Africa? Countries like [England] and America have a big voice in the world, and it's down to [us] to bring these problems out in the open. Especially America, with its huge food mountains can help. The question is what do we give them - financial aid, food, or clothes?

Has hearing about Live 8 raised your awareness about Africa? The downside of this concert is that Live Aid [the 1985 concerts to help Ethiopia famine victims] was organized to raise money, and this is just raising awareness. I think it should have been treated in the same way as Live Aid. We could have exceeded the money from Live Aid.

Name the current leader of any African country: Pass.

What is the G-8? The G-8 is all the world's leaders, where they all get together and have a cup of tea and decide things.

	Francesco Colangelo

Francesco Colangelo, film director in Rome.

Name the current leader of any African country. I can't. I lack the knowledge. But I am also a victim of a lack of information. Africa is talked about only as a marginal place. A place that does not matter. It is not important in dominant culture. Its leaders do not often make the news here.

Luana Salvatore, editor of a Duran Duran fanzine from Foggia in southern Italy.

Why are you going to the concert? We really appreciate what Bob Geldof is doing and we want to support him. But also I wouldn't miss the chance to see Duran Duran.

How has your awareness been raised by hearing about this concert? I was shocked by a documentary I saw on Sky TV here in Italy about the original Live Aid project.... There was a woman Bob Geldof helped back then, and she is really better now. It gives you hope. It makes you think it's possible to do something to improve people's lives.... Organizing a new concert now makes people think about it again, people who perhaps had forgotten.

Claire Teschendorf, a PR assistant from Australia, who's living in London.

	Claire Teschendorf

Why should the West help Africa? Because they have, in a lot of situations, gone in and tried to conquer them and settle there. And they left the place in a worse state than they found [it].

Should the West attach strings to aid? It's quite rude to be telling other countries how to spend money. But maybe something where, like Australia with its tsunami appeal for Indonesia, they had interest-free bonds and loans [and] there was a board in place to see how money would be spent.

Kevin McGeehan of West Chester, Penn.

Why should the West help Africa? The ease of travel around the world means that [Africa's] problems will end up in the West.

Gianluca Nicastro, TV producer from Rome.

Why should the West help Africa? It's a moral duty. People who are fine should help people who are dying. Not to mention our colonial history. It is almost our duty to help because of the past.

How has your awareness been raised by this concert? It makes me think there is hope in the world. There are people - perhaps braver than me - who are able to do something. It makes you think about these problems. And talk about them.

 

The Foreign Policies of the European Union's Mediterranean States and Applicant Countries in the 1990s

The contributors to this book analyze the Mediterranean policies of the southern European Union states and of the applicant countries on the Mediterranean littoral. There is a strong need for such an analysis, as significant questions confront the countries of the region. Do the governments of these countries have a common thread in their Mediterranean policies, a thread that might promise greater cooperation in tackling the region's many problems? Are there states that could prove to be the leaders in developing policies as acceptable in North Africa and Turkey as they would be in France or Italy? Are there reasonably common analyses of difficult political problems, such as the implications for the EU of the development of Islamist parties in the Mediterranean area?

The contributors discuss these questions, and others, in a volume with chapters of differing quality. In an introduction, the distinguished editors set the stage for the discussion with clarity and precision. They describe the problem of formulating a strategy that will allow the Christian, democratic, wealthy EU countries to work together with the largely Muslim, authoritarian, impoverished applicant states to the east and south. They wisely puncture the view that only states having a Judeo-Christian heritage are capable of developing functioning democracies. The editors champion the future development of an EU common foreign and security policy that will oppose protectionism, encourage investment in the South, and shed paternalistic notions while mediating conflicts. This promising beginning is followed by an uneven road.

Laurent Meyrede's chapter on France is a paean to French policy making. He hails the realism of several French governments (through 1996) that extolled human rights and democracy but in practice paid closer attention to ensuring stability in North Africa through aid and investment. While this is a defensible position, Mayrede also describes the close and often closed network that has existed among French officials and their North African counterparts. He approves of these often highly personal connections that, in his view, make French policy work. This is an odd statement, given that the chapter begins with a quotation from Braudel. One would expect the analysis that follows to deemphasize the importance of individual policy makers and underscore instead the long-term issues of the region that demand a coordinated commitment of many years that rises above personalities and politics. To many observers, it is the mentality of the chasse gardée that has entangled France in a network of often corrupt officials in Africa. In sub-Saharan Africa, these networks have led to trouble for Paris when regimes have changed and new leaders have called for reform and an end to business [End Page 143] as usual. Meyrede does not address the danger of such a development should certain North African governments give way to less traditional, more reform-minded leadership. Instead, his analysis sometimes reads as if it were a press release: "The [French] Mediterranean policy can be summed up as having as its main characteristics a clear purpose, a reaffirmed European spirit, a strong French dynamic and a substantial content." He believes that this policy will shape other EU states' policies as well.

In sharp contrast is Roberto Aliboni's chapter on Italy's Mediterranean policy. It is refreshingly straightforward in political assessment, spare but informative in characterization of the central tenets of Rome's thinking, and devoid of claims that Italy alone can carry the European beacon in the Mediterranean. Aliboni notes that Italy has compensated for its diminishing aid budget and uncertain domestic political course by working to shape a multilateral consensus for building political and economic stability in North Africa. He notes interesting examples of Italian cooperation with Egypt. Missing in the analysis but important as a factor is the high regard found in Cairo for Italian civil servants in Rome as well as in a range of multilateral institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund or World Bank. Many North Africans trust Italy because they view Italian society as tolerant and broad-minded, qualities that have positive residual effects in government-to-government relations.

Another fine chapter is that of P. C. Ioakimidis on Greece. In sometimes hard-hitting analysis, Ioakimidis lays bare a central problem of Greek policy making: "The absence of effective, legitimized institutional structures . . . for making policy leads to the dominance of personalities in the process of making foreign policy." The unspecified reference to the talented but often flamboyant and unpredictable politicians of the Karamanlis-Mitsotakis-Papandreou era is unmistakable. The role of larger-than-life politicians, driving without the brakes because of the virtual absence of a capable and trusted bureaucracy to check them, has plagued Greece for decades. Ioakimidis notes that an often virulent press provokes public opinion, which on occasion has led to irresponsible decision making by the country's leaders and in turn to isolation in the EU and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. "Foreign policy objectives," he concludes, "are set with the electorate in mind rather than the national interest." As with the other authors', Ioakimidis's analysis ends with 1996. It may well be that the technocratic but highly professional Costas Simitis is providing a break with the tradition described here and that Greece may look forward at least to the prospect of more responsible leadership.

One other chapter is particularly worthy of note. Kemal Kirisçi provides a fine analysis of Turkey's role in Central Asia and the Mediterranean. He notes that Turkey's Mediterranean policy is secondary to its policies toward Western and Central Asia, the Black Sea, and the Balkans, a perspective inadequately understood in Brussels. Turkish officials have a complex interplay of issues to consider in formulating foreign policy. [End Page 144] This very complexity of issues is all the greater reason for the EU to seek more vigorously an improved relationship with Ankara.

Other contributions to this volume are not as interesting. Some chapters, such as those on Europe and the Middle East peace process and on Portugal, are competent and informative but do not break new ground. Others, such as the lengthy chapter on tiny Malta (the longest in the book), would have benefited from editing that would have kept the author on the main path.

Inconsistency of approach is perhaps unavoidable in analyzing such a diversity of countries. But the differences in approach encountered in this book require the reader to adjust at virtually each new chapter. Some chapters are lean and analytical, obviously intended for policy makers. Others, in contrast, are written in an ungainly academic-speak, to be lapped up only by bleary-eyed political science graduate students who crave a dose of jargon on behavioristic models of the modern state before they turn in for the night.

Finally, the volume suffers to some degree because most of the contributors examine the specific policies of particular governments in the years 1990 to 1996 rather than address themes or long-term developments that will be of as much interest to a reader in 2009 as in 1999. The shelf life of the book, consequently, will be limited for those who are looking for guidance in future policy making.

Freedom of Information law could be expensive, If - JAK

 

COME ON AGAIN PRESIDENT KUFUOR,WHAT ABOUT RAOPA ?

Accra, May 16, GNA - The Freedom of Information Law could prove to be very expensive, if not well-managed, President John Agyekum Kufuor, cautioned in Accra on Wednesday.

He said the Government would therefore ensure that adequate ground work had been done before its passage.

 

The Attorney-General, he said, was working out the time-table, the Government needed, to be ready with the law. President Kufuor was interacting with delegates to the 41st Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and People's Rights at the Castle, Osu.

 

Made up of Human Rights Commissioners of African Union (AU) and representatives of Non-Governmental and Civil Society Organisations, they are in Accra to deliberate on human rights issues confronting the Continent.

 

President Kufuor spoke of the Government's determination to put in place the necessary institutions and laws to protect the rights of the people, citing the landmark Domestic Violence Law and the repeal of the offensive Criminal Libel Law.

 

Without respect for human rights, governance cannot be said to be good and this could hamper investment inflows, he added. President Kufuor, who is the Chairman of the AU, said liberated Africa must therefore uphold people's rights, which "is the basis of democracy."

 

He counselled that with the opening up of the world, it was important for the Commission to help deepen the awareness of African societies to the dangers that could arise out of the pursuit of sectional rights.

 

He noted that, the violation of the rights of minority groups, had been the major cause of most of the friction and conflicts on the Continent and said such pitfalls must be avoided.

 

Mrs Salamatta Sawadogo, Chairperson of the Commission and leader of the delegation, praised President Kufuor for his keen interest in the work of the Commission and said; "We know we can depend on your support to implement the mandate given to us."

 

She said the decision to hold the Session in Accra was taken to share with Ghana the joy of the 50 years of political independence.

 

The simplest kind of home network contains exactly two computers. You can use this kind of network to share files, a printer or another peripheral device, and even an Internet connection. To connect two computers for sharing network resources, consider the options described below:
Connecting Two Computers Directly With Cable
The traditional method to network two computers involves making a cabled connection. Joining a single cable between the two systems provides a reliable, dedicated network link. Several alternatives exist for networking two computers in this manner:

* Ethernet crossover cable
* Null modem serial cable or parallel peripheral cable
* Special-purpose USB cables

Ethernet - Of the above choices, the Ethernet method is preferred.It supports a reliable high-speed connection with minimal configuration required. Additionally, Ethernet technology offers the most general-purpose solution, allowing networks with more than two computers to be built fairly easily later. If only one computer possesses an Ethernet adapter but the other has USB, an Ethernet crossover cable can still be used by first plugging a USB-to-Ethernet converter unit into the USB port.

See also: Ethernet crossover cables
Definition: A crossover cable directly connects two network devices of the same type to each other over Ethernet. Ethernet crossover cables are commonly used when temporarily networking two devices in situations where a network router, switch or hub is not present.

Compared to standard Ethernet cables, the internal wiring of Ethernet crossover cables reverses the transmit and receive signals. The reversed color-coded wires can be seen through the RJ-45 connectors at each end of the cable:

• Standard cables have an idential sequence of colored wires on each end
• Crossover cables have the 1st and 3rd wires (counting from left to right) crossed, and the 2nd and 6th wires crossed

An Ethernet crossover cable will also feature the name "crossover" stamped on its packaging and wire casing.

Ethernet crossover cables should only be used for direct network connections. In particular, attempting to connect a computer to a hub with a crossover cable will prevent that network link from functioning. Home broadband routers have become an exception to this rule: modern consumer routers contain logic to automatically detect crossover cables and allow them to function with other types of Ethernet devices. Also Known As: crossed cable

Serial and parallel - This cabling, called Direct Cable Connection (DCC) when using Microsoft Windows, offers lower performance but will also work. You may prefer this option if you have such cables readily available and network speed is not a concern. Serial and parallel cables are never used to network more than two computers.

USB - Ordinary USB cables must not be used to connect two computers directly to each other. Attempting to do so can electrically damage the computers. However, special USB cables designed for direct connection exist; these can be used safely. You may prefer this option if your computers lack functional Ethernet network adapters.

To make dedicated connections with Ethernet, USB, serial or parallel cables requires

1. each computer has a functioning network interface with an external jack for the cable, and
2. the network settings on each computer are appropriately configured

One phone line or power cord cannot be used to directly connect two computers to each other for networking.

Next > Connecting Two Computers through Central Device.Tomorrow edition

Kumasi, May 13, GNA - HIV/AIDS victims can heave a huge sigh of relief since there is now a potent herbal medicine which is reported to be capable of totally curing HIV/AIDS.

"Koankro", the herbal mixture prepared by Mr Kamara Agyapong, Director of Peace Herbal Clinic at Ejisu in Ashanti, has been confirmed by the Clinical Analysis Laboratory of the Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), as capable and potent in curing HIV/AIDS.

This follows the successful trial tests conducted on two HIV/AIDS positive patients who were put on the herbal preparations by Mr Agyapong two years ago. The tests have confirmed that the two patients are now HIV negative.

The test results which were made available to the Ghana News Agency in Kumasi indicated that, the two patients have been tested negative of both HIV 1 and 2 viruses.

The results, which were released on May 4, this year, show that, the two male patients, aged 39 and 34 now have no HIV virus in their blood cells.

Their negative status has also been confirmed by further test results from the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) laboratory and Medilab, a private medical laboratory in Kumasi.

A team of researchers from the Biochemistry Department of KNUST had been conducting a series of investigations into the efficacy and potency of the "Koankro" herbal mixture for some years now.

They had already confirmed the efficacy of the preparation in the management of HIV/AIDS. The team initially confirmed that after three weeks treatment with "Koankro", there was significant improvement in the haemoglobin content, while the blood counts and weight of victims improved.

That made Mr Agyapong to undertake further research to come out with additional 16 preparations, which are administered to the patients at different stages of treatment.

Speaking to the GNA on the test results, Mr Agyapong indicated that there were currently about 20 patients who were at various stages of treatment, adding that, the breakthrough in the test results had provided further impetus to the herbal preparations for the treatment of the disease.

Kumasi, May 13, GNA - HIV/AIDS victims can heave a huge sigh of relief since there is now a potent herbal medicine which is reported to be capable of totally curing HIV/AIDS.

"Koankro", the herbal mixture prepared by Mr Kamara Agyapong, Director of Peace Herbal Clinic at Ejisu in Ashanti, has been confirmed by the Clinical Analysis Laboratory of the Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), as capable and potent in curing HIV/AIDS.

This follows the successful trial tests conducted on two HIV/AIDS positive patients who were put on the herbal preparations by Mr Agyapong two years ago. The tests have confirmed that the two patients are now HIV negative.

The test results which were made available to the Ghana News Agency in Kumasi indicated that, the two patients have been tested negative of both HIV 1 and 2 viruses.

The results, which were released on May 4, this year, show that, the two male patients, aged 39 and 34 now have no HIV virus in their blood cells.

Their negative status has also been confirmed by further test results from the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) laboratory and Medilab, a private medical laboratory in Kumasi.

A team of researchers from the Biochemistry Department of KNUST had been conducting a series of investigations into the efficacy and potency of the "Koankro" herbal mixture for some years now.

They had already confirmed the efficacy of the preparation in the management of HIV/AIDS. The team initially confirmed that after three weeks treatment with "Koankro", there was significant improvement in the haemoglobin content, while the blood counts and weight of victims improved.

That made Mr Agyapong to undertake further research to come out with additional 16 preparations, which are administered to the patients at different stages of treatment.

Speaking to the GNA on the test results, Mr Agyapong indicated that there were currently about 20 patients who were at various stages of treatment, adding that, the breakthrough in the test results had provided further impetus to the herbal preparations for the treatment of the disease.

The North America Chairman of NDC, Mr. Cobby Boahene has undertaken a whirlwind tour of Georgia-Atlanta, where he met with NDC representatives from Atlanta, Alabama, North and South Carolina. He held close door meetings with these representatives in the company of Mr. Tony Amuzu, the Atlanta NDC Chairman. Details of their discussion was not disclosed but a report indicates NDC, under Mr. Boahene, is aggressively setting up branches in the Southern Sector of the USA to be followed by Vancouver in Canada and other areas across North America, including Ottawa, Boston, New Mexico, Connecticut, Texas and Las Vegas.

Whilst in Atlanta, Mr. Cobby Boahene was invited as a featured speaker at the 15th Celebration of the Homowo Festival by the Gadangme Association of Atlanta on Saturday, September 30th 2006. In his speech he cautioned Ghanaians in the Diaspora to be vigilant and not be taken unawares by any last minute implementation of ROPAL. He stressed that Ghanaians in the Diaspora should demand transparency whenever ROPAL is implemented for all Ghanaians living everywhere in the world to be allowed to exercise their franchise equitably, not only in areas thought to have more people of particular background likely to favor particular political parties. Mr. Boahene emphasized that Ghanaians should be vocal about unjust Laws and they should be bold to ask questions to bring about awareness for the betterment of mother Ghana. The audience was held spell-bound and stayed very attentive during Mr. Boaheneʼs speech, as he stressed the fact that Ghana is yet to develop institutions and proper procedures necessary for smooth implementation of a scheme as complex as ROPAL.The NACC-NDC Chairmanʼs down to earth speech was well received by the Gadangme people and other invited guests at the function.

The NACC-NDC Chairman has since returned to his Chicago base making plans for trips to Washington DC and Maryland prior to the next NACC-NDC meeting scheduled to be hosted by Atlanta NDC headed by Mr. Tony Amuzu on December 2, 2006.

About globalwarming

The Sun sends energy in the form of radiation to the Earth. The Earth reflects approximately 30% of the incident solar flux. The remaining 70% is absorbed, allowing the land, atmosphere and oceans to warm up to a livable temperature.

Since the Industrial Revolution in the 18th Century, the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, and deforestation has caused the concentrations of heat-trapping "greenhouse gases" to increase significantly in our atmosphere. This causes less heat to reflect and more to be absorbed.

According to the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) there will be a global temperature increase of 1.4 - 5.8°C from 1990-2100. The increase in temperature will cause a rise in sea levels, extreme storms and diseases such as Malaria, Dengue Fever, Encephalitis and Hantavirus. It is predicted that we will lose nearly a quarter of the Earth’s animal and plant species by 2050.

It is time to make a change. This group is a place for us all to discuss the latest news, possible ways for change, and anything related to climate change.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiO0lPgxdBg

Vigilante groups are gradually emerging in some neigbourhoods within the Accra metropolis apparently in response to increasing reports of crime in such areas.

Over the past four weeks some residents of parts of North Kaneshie, Adabraka and Lartebiokorshie have been living in a state of fear because of frequent reports of robbery attacks, carjacking and mobile phone snatching, by machete or gun-wielding gangs of young men driving in taxi cabs or on motor bikes.

There seems to be no other options available to the youth in those areas, than to constitute themselves into vigilante groups to deal with such criminals the way they deem fit.

In the early hours of yesterday, a man believed to be in his mid twenties, was lynched by a mob for allegedly attempting to snatch a mobile phone from a woman around the Piccadilly factory area, near Dan�s Bar at North Kaneshie.

A source close to the group told the Times that at about 11pm on Monday, a gang of about four machete-wielding young men accosted the young women and demanded that she hands over her mobile phone to them.

According to the source, the woman took to her heels and was chased by the gang until she luckily ran into the vigilante group who were patrolling the vicinity.

The source said the other three members of the gang managed to escape but luck run out for the fourth who was lynched and dragged to a spot in front of a fuel filling station at North Kaneshie.

As at press time yesterday when the Times was leaving the scene the body was still lying there covered with a pack of card board.

The cement blocks and lorry tyres were beside it.

The Kaneshie Divisional Crime Officer, Joseph Kwame Amoah, told the Times that the police were informed yesterday morning that the body of a man aged about 30 was lying in front of a fuel filling station at North Kaneshie.

Mr. Amoah said nobody in the area was prepared to talk, but the police suspect that he might have been killed elsewhere and brought to the spot.

Mr. Amoah said though no arrests have been made, investigations are still continuing.

Times learnt that the formation of the vigilante group in the area was prompted by an attack on a man, three weeks ago by a gang of robbers.

The man, who was said to be preparing for Muslim prayers at around 4.30am, was attacked by the gang in front of his house and was inflicted with cutlass wounds.

Similar attacks at Adabraka and Lartebiokorshie have also tripped reprisals by some youth groups in these areas against suspected armed robbers.

About three weeks ago, a mob lynched a suspected armed robber at Adabraka, leading to a subsequent invasion of the area by a group claiming to be related to the deceased and promising revenge.

Last week some residents of Lartebiokorshie also lynched two suspected robbers after a series of robberies in the area.

The trial of Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, the former First Lady and five others is set to resume on Tuesday morning at an Accra Fast-Track High Court presided over by Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie.

Nana Konadu and the others are standing trial on 30 charges, including conspiracy to commit crime and causing financial loss to the state for their alleged role in the divestiture of GIHOC Nsawam Cannery to Caridem Development Company, a company owned by the 31st December Women’s Movement.

The divestiture to 31st DWM of which Nana Konadu is the president was said to be fraudulent, leading to financial loss to the state because the normal divestiture procedure of state-owned companies were not followed and signatures in the deal were allegedly forged.

At the last hearing, the case had