NPP to elect aspiring MPs on April 30

It is now set that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) will hold its parliamentary primaries to select candidates for the 2011 elections on April 30, 2011.
All aspirants from constituencies where there are sitting NPP Members of Parliament (MPs) will pay a total sum of GH¢16,000, while those in orphaned constituencies will pay GH¢ 6,000.
Also, women aspirants would pay half of the amount pertaining to their constituencies.
This is an innovation to encourage more women to participate and possibly become MPs on the ticket of the party.
Giving the breakdown of the amount, the General Secretary of the NPP, Mr Kwadwo Owusu-Afriyie, said GH¢10,000 out of the GH¢16,000 that would be paid by those in constituencies with sitting NPP MPs would be put into a development fund to support the party’s development agenda.
He said prospective contestants would have to purchase a form for GH¢1,000, get verification certificate from their regional offices validating their membership at the cost of GH¢2,000 in order to file their nomination at the cost of GH¢3,000.
The final day for submission of forms is March 18, 2011.
According to Mr Owusu-Afriyie, the April 30 nation-wide primaries would cover 227 out of the 230 constituencies.
This is because the remaining three: Bekwai, Nkawkaw and Bosome -Freho which were currently being occupied by independent MPs who are sympathetic to the NPP will be held at a later date because the sitting independent MPs have expressed their interest in joining the NPP.
Again, any attempt to allow them to contest the party’s primaries on April 30 would mean they should cross carpet in Parliament.
The implication is that they would lose their seats and a bye-election will have to be held to fill those vacancies.
Asked if the amount quoted was not on the high side, the General Secretary said “a lot of people, especially party members, believe it is too small.”