NPP opens nomination for constituencies

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has opened nomination from March 1, 2008 for constituencies with sitting Members of Parliament (MPs).
The nomination period will last for a month.
According to the National Organiser of the NPP, Mr Lord Commey, it is the prerogative of the National Executive Committee (NEC) to ensure that only suitable, qualified and eligible applicants are given the nod to vie for the position of parliamentary aspirants in the various constituency primaries.
“The national executive committee of the party is the final determinant of who is qualified, eligible and suitable to become the candidate for the election”, he told the Daily Graphic.
He said anyone vying for the position of parliamentary candidate should satisfy the requirements of Article 94 (1) of the national constitution which states the qualification of an MP and Article 11 of the NPP Constitution.
Article 11 (4) of the NPP Constitution states that “No member shall be entitled to apply for nominations as the party’s parliamentary candidate for any constituency unless he or she; (i) has been a known and active member of at least two years; (ii) is registered member and voter in the constituency which he or she seeks to represent, provided that in appropriate cases the constituency executive commission may dispense with this requirement; (iii) is of good character; (iv) of good standing.”
“Article five of the party’s constitution also states that “It shall be the obligation of the member seeking nominations as the party’s parliamentary candidate to satisfy the constituency executive committee, the regional executive committee and the national executive committee that the conditions stipulated in Article 11 (4) have been fulfilled, and any application which does not apply with these conditions shall be rejected”, Mr Commey said.
Mr Commey noted that the party was also preparing a code of conduct similar to the one that was prepared for its presidential aspirants, prior to its national delegates congress which elected Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as the presidential aspirant for the NPP.
He said the code would guide the conduct of the various aspirants, their supporters and party executive to ensure that the selection of the candidates becomes successful.
This, he said, was in accordance with Article 18 of the NPP Constitution which states that “There may be separate rules and regulations of the party to supplement the provisions of the constitution. The rules and regulations may provide the guidelines needed for the constituency, regional, overseas and national organisation and operations of the party. ”
Mr Commey said the opening of the nomination marked the first step in the process of selecting a candidate and cautioned applicants not to carry themselves as aspirants because they would first have to be vetted and accepted before they could appear before the constituency congress to be elected.
He said applicants could buy nomination forms from the constituency office at Gh¢200 and pay a non-refundable fee of Gh¢ 1,000 by banker’s draft.
Last year the party successfully elected aspirants for its orphan constituencies.