CPP nullifies Ellembele primary

AN internal squabble has broken out within the Convention People’s Party (CPP) over the re-election of Mr Freddie Blay to represent the party at Ellembele, one of the party’s strongest constituencies.
The constituency’s delegates at a meeting on August 23, 2008 re-elected Mr Blay, who has represented the constituency in Parliament since 1996, as the party’s candidate for the December polls.
But while the party’s central committee has declared the election null and void with the argument that the incumbent MP is the subject of an investigation whose outcome is yet to be determined, the Western Regional chairman of the party, Mr Samuel Gordon Etroo, described as unbelievable the decision of the Central Committee to nullify the Ellembele primary.
The incumbent MP, who is also the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, described the decision as “strange and embarrassing”.
Affirming the central committee’s position, the General Secretary of the party, Mr Ivor Kobina Greenstreet, said at its meeting in Accra on August 28, 2008 the Central Committee of the party, based on Article 48(f) of the CPP constitution, objected to the selection of Mr Blay as the CPP candidate for Ellembele.
He said in accordance with the provisions of the CPP constitution, until the central committee approved of the elected parliamentary candidates, such candidates could not file with the Electoral Commission (EC) on the ticket of the CPP.
Mr Blay, who is currently attending an international meeting in Nairobi, sounded very furious when reached for his reaction.
He told the Daily Graphic via telephone that he had already reacted to the letter inviting him to the disciplinary committee by seeking some clarification that the committee had failed to provide.
He also asked if his failure to appear before the disciplinary committee could mean that he was not eligible to participate in any party function such as being in parliament as MP for the party, contest a primary conducted by the constituency or attend party meetings.
Mr Blay said “it is difficult to honestly understand the basis for the annulment” and asked if the decision was against his person or the primary was not properly constituted.
He also added that although he was aware that it was only the central committee of the party that could give the green light before he could file his nomination, “the party constitution did not say that if you are being investigated you cannot participate in any party activity”.
He denied ever soliciting support for Nana Akufo-Addo, but explained that he only praised the NPP flag bearer for his abhorrence of injustice and his fight for the entrenchment of multiparty democracy in the country over the years.
He said when he received the letter from the disciplinary committee inviting him because it was a quasi judiciary committee he wrote back to them for clarification on the reasons for the invitation but did not receive any response.
When reached for his comments, the Western Regional Chairman of the CPP described as unbelievable the decision by the central committee to nullify the Ellembele primary.
He said although he had earlier received a verbal message from Mr Greenstreet to put the primaries on hold, the national chairman, Mr Ladi Nylander, later sent another verbal message instructing him to go on with the primary.
He said before all the verbal messages, he had earlier received a written letter from the national headquarters instructing him to organise all the constituency primaries in the region.
On the alleged call for support for Nana Akufo-Addo by Mr Blay, Mr Etroo described them as false because investigations he conducted on behalf of the CPP, whose report had been sent to the national headquarters, indicated that there was nothing of that nature.
He said he interviewed both ward and constituency executive members of the party, as well listened to tape recordings of the function and it was clear that Mr Blay only thanked the NPP for not putting up candidates at the constituency.
He said Mr Blay also commended the NPP flag bearer for his fight for multiparty democracy and rule of law.
Explaining the reasons for the annulment, the CPP Spokesperson, Mr Kosi Dede, said it was annulled because Mr Blay had failed to appear before the disciplinary committee of the party to answer some questions.
He also expressed surprise that the constituency executive supervised the primary although the party had instructed the constituency and regional executive to hold on till the central committee had cleared Mr Blay.
He said Mr Blay was alleged to have called for support for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flag bearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, which was an affront to the CPP constitution.
Mr Dede added that Mr Blay was summoned before the CPP Disciplinary Committee but he failed to appear, and this made the party to write to the Ellembele executive not to hold any primary till the issue was dealt with.
He said although the party had not declared Mr Blay guilty, it was not right for the constituency executive to hold the primary.
Asked when the CPP would hold a primary if Mr Blay continuously failed to appear before the committee, Mr Dede said the central committee would meet again and take a decision on the matter.