Committed Group of PNC threatens NEC

A GROUP calling itself the Committed Group of the People’s National Convention (PNC) has threatened to physically throw out all illegal members who will attend the next National Executive Committee meeting, on Saturday November 27, 2010, including Dr Edward Nasigre Mahama, the 2008 presidential candidate of the party.
According to the group, the composition of the current Natiotional Executive Committee (NEC) and the Standing Committee (SC) of the party were flagrant violation of its constitution and urged the chairman and leader of the party not to hold themselves as such and attend any Standing Committee or National Executive Committee meeting.
But the Chairman of the party, Alhaji Ahmed Ramadan, denied the claims by the group and explained that all nominations and positions that the party had made were in conformity with its constitution and accepted by the NEC.
He said at the last NEC meeting prior to the congress, it was decided that because the party could not have the full compliment for some vice chairmen positions, the NEC must make appointment for the vacancies which it later did.
Adducing reasons for declaring the NEC and the SC as illegal in a statement signed by Mr Bernard Bama-ame, Secretary of the Committed Group, it suggested that an Interim Management Committee be set up to run the affairs of the Party until the next national congress to elect national officers as mandated by the party's constitution or else they would be forced to take legal action among others to address the issue.
It threatened that “the next NEC meeting scheduled for Saturday, November 27, 2010, and all ineligible or unqualified NEC members would be flushed out at that meeting. That is to say, people who are not qualified to be NEC members would not be allowed to attend that meeting”.
The statement said it was only the national congress that had the power to elect the three vice chairmen and that this could not be delegated to any body to appoint.
“Therefore the purported appointment, election or selection of the three Vice-Chairmen by the National Executive Committee (NEC) to become members of the National Executive Committee is unconstitutional and, therefore illegal,” it said.
It added that the appointment, election or selection of the deputy national treasurer by the NEC to become members of the National Executive Committee was also unconstitutional .
It said the party’s SC did not set up the sub committees as required by the provision of Article 58, therefore the election or selection of the national chairman as chairman of the finance committee by the NEC was unconstitutional and illegal.
The statement said Dr Edward N. Mahama, the 2008 presidential candidate of the PNC was first elected leader of the party in May 1997 and had to hold office for the life of the Second Parliament of the Fourth Republic which started immediately after mid night January 7, 1997 and ended or was dissolved at mid night January 6, 2001.
By the provisions of Article 49(2) Dr Edward N. Mahama was eligible for re-election for only another term to run for the life of the Third Parliament of the Fourth Republic and that Dr Mahama should not be eligible to hold office as Leader of the Party or contest for the position of the Presidential Candidate of the Party at any other time.
It said for that reason, Dr Mahama was violating the PNC’s Constitution as provided under Article 49 (1) and (2) by continuing to hold himself out and act as Leader and as a Presidential Candidate of the Party.
“It follows as a matter of logic that Dr Mahama could not be a member of the Standing Committee or chair a meeting of the Standing Committee as a Leader of the Party,” the statement said.
Reacting, Alhaji Ramadan again said the Constitution of the PNC did not state how many times a member could contest the presidential slot, it said unlike the national Constitution which allowed for only two terms, the PNC Constitution was silent, all that it stated was that a candidate could have another go at the position.