Tuesday, January 31, 2012

PNC Elect Presidential Candidate And Others Saturday

After several legal tussles and hurdles, the way has now been cleared for the People’s National Convention (PNC) to hold its national delegates congress on Saturday, February 4, 2012. at Sunyani.

1,400 PNC delegates will elect the party’s flag bearer for the 2012 elections at the Sunyani Polytechnic campus, the venue of the congress,.

The position of flag bearer is being contested by the four-time presidential candidate of the party, Dr Edward Nasrigri Mahama, and a 40-year-old businessman, Mr Hassan Ayariga.

The congress will also elect six persons for the positions of National Chairman, National Organiser, General Secretary, Women’s Organiser, National Youth Organiser to steer the affairs of the party for the next four years.

The congress will also discuss and adopt or reject the recommendations of the party’s constitutional review committee that had been reviewing the party’s constitution.

It is expected that the current constitutional arrangement where the presidential candidate remains the leader of the party even during non-election period will be changed.

If the constitution of the party is amended, the National Chairman will be the leader of the party after every presidential election.

Other amendments will include ensuring that the party engages in major political activity through the organisation of polling station elections each year after general election.

The amendment will ensure that the following year after election, constituency executives would be elected after which regional and national executive election will be conducted in subsequent years.

The party was billed to hold its congress in the latter part of last year, but was rescheduled due to series of legal issues which were contested in court against the locus of the current leadership to hold themselves as an executive and to organise congress.

However, on January 23, 2012, a major hurdle on its path was cleared when the Accra High Court dismissed a motion for interlocutory injunction seeking an order to restrain the PNC from organising its delegates congress.

According to the court, the applicants failed to provide independent evidence to substantiate allegations of fraud levelled against the defendants.

Already, the party has concluded the selection of delegates at the constituency and regional levels. that constitute the 1400 delegates for the congress.

Briefing the Daily Graphic, the General Secretary of the PNC, Mr Bernard Mornah, said the National Executive Committee of the party had fixed March 30, 2012 as the final date for all parliamentary primaries.

He said all parliamentary aspirants were to pick up nomination forms at a cost of GH¢200.00 each, payable to the regional party accounts.

All male aspirants are to pay a filing fee of GH¢1, 000 also through the regional party bank accounts while female aspirants are to pay no filing fees.

This is to motivate more women to participate in the crucial arm of the Legislature in the governance of our dear nation.

For the avoidance of doubt, NEC also stressed that the primaries should be conducted along the electoral area executives and that the delegates’ list must be submitted to all aspirants at least two weeks before the primaries he explained.

Mr Mornah said the NEC had also tasked the Regional Executive of the Upper East Region to lead a three-member team to resolve the issues in the Bolgatanga Constituency and report same to the National Office by end of February, 2012.

“NEC expressed profound gratitude to the mass of the party for their continued support for the party and urged them to remain steadfast as the party finalises its preparations for election 2012”, he said.

PNC Elect Presidential Candidate And Others Saturday

After several legal tussles and hurdles, the way has now been cleared for the People’s National Convention (PNC) to hold its national delegates congress on Saturday, February 4, 2012. at Sunyani.

1,400 PNC delegates will elect the party’s flag bearer for the 2012 elections at the Sunyani Polytechnic campus, the venue of the congress,.

The position of flag bearer is being contested by the four-time presidential candidate of the party, Dr Edward Nasrigri Mahama, and a 40-year-old businessman, Mr Hassan Ayariga.

The congress will also elect six persons for the positions of National Chairman, National Organiser, General Secretary, Women’s Organiser, National Youth Organiser to steer the affairs of the party for the next four years.

The congress will also discuss and adopt or reject the recommendations of the party’s constitutional review committee that had been reviewing the party’s constitution.

It is expected that the current constitutional arrangement where the presidential candidate remains the leader of the party even during non-election period will be changed.

If the constitution of the party is amended, the National Chairman will be the leader of the party after every presidential election.

Other amendments will include ensuring that the party engages in major political activity through the organisation of polling station elections each year after general election.

The amendment will ensure that the following year after election, constituency executives would be elected after which regional and national executive election will be conducted in subsequent years.

The party was billed to hold its congress in the latter part of last year, but was rescheduled due to series of legal issues which were contested in court against the locus of the current leadership to hold themselves as an executive and to organise congress.

However, on January 23, 2012, a major hurdle on its path was cleared when the Accra High Court dismissed a motion for interlocutory injunction seeking an order to restrain the PNC from organising its delegates congress.

According to the court, the applicants failed to provide independent evidence to substantiate allegations of fraud levelled against the defendants.

Already, the party has concluded the selection of delegates at the constituency and regional levels. that constitute the 1400 delegates for the congress.

Briefing the Daily Graphic, the General Secretary of the PNC, Mr Bernard Mornah, said the National Executive Committee of the party had fixed March 30, 2012 as the final date for all parliamentary primaries.

He said all parliamentary aspirants were to pick up nomination forms at a cost of GH¢200.00 each, payable to the regional party accounts.

All male aspirants are to pay a filing fee of GH¢1, 000 also through the regional party bank accounts while female aspirants are to pay no filing fees.

This is to motivate more women to participate in the crucial arm of the Legislature in the governance of our dear nation.

For the avoidance of doubt, NEC also stressed that the primaries should be conducted along the electoral area executives and that the delegates’ list must be submitted to all aspirants at least two weeks before the primaries he explained.

Mr Mornah said the NEC had also tasked the Regional Executive of the Upper East Region to lead a three-member team to resolve the issues in the Bolgatanga Constituency and report same to the National Office by end of February, 2012.

“NEC expressed profound gratitude to the mass of the party for their continued support for the party and urged them to remain steadfast as the party finalises its preparations for election 2012”, he said.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Gt Accra NDC vets aspirants today

THE Greater Accra Regional branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) will today begin the vetting of the 71 aspirants vying for the 18 slots to become the party’s aspiring parliamentary candidates.
This affords the party the opportunity to go through the documentations of the applicants and also delve deep into some areas of the lives of the aspirants to ensure that in both areas they satisfy the NDC qualification criteria and the 1992 constitution.
Although the regional vetting forms part of the party’s constitutional demands, it is the national executive that has the final authority to give the green light or disqualify any aspirants.
In the Greater Accra, all the 18 sitting Members of Parliament (MPs) are seeking the mandate of the party’s delegates to re-represent the NDC during the December 7, 2012 parliamentary elections. However, none of them is going unopposed, with the Adenta MP, Mr Kojo Adu Asare, having as many as six challengers.
The incumbent MP for Odododiodoo, Nii Tackie Kommey, is being challenged by two persons including a Presidential Staffer, Nii Lantey Vanderpuji, at Ablekuma Central. Mr Chaie Tettey Theophilus will battle it out with three other members of the party including Alhaji Alidu Haruna for the Ablekuma Central ticket of the party.
Three other persons are challenging Mr Fritz Baffour who is the MP for Ablekuma South, while at the Korle Klottey, the incumbent MP who is also the Greater Accra Minister, Nii Armah Ashietey, is being contested by three others, including Mr Wakefield Ackuaku.
At Ayawaso East, Dr Mustapha Ahmed, the sitting MP who doubles as a Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing will contest the slot with Alhaji Haruna Ibrahim Rasid and Alhaji Gedel M. Ahmed.
One of the longest serving MPs in the Fourth Republic, Mr Enoch Teye Mensah, the MP for Ningo Prampram and the Minister of Employment and Social Welfare has only one person challenging him, while at Shai Osudoku, the sitting MP Mr David Tetteh Assumeng has five others to contend with.
At Sege, four persons are challenging the re-election of the incumbent MP, Mr Alfred Wallace G. Abayateye.
The Deputy Minister of Youth and Sport and the sitting MP for Ledzokuku, Nii Nortey Duah, has two challengers while another Deputy Minister of Roads and Highways, Dr Nii Oakley Quaye -Kumah, who is also the MP for Krowor has four other contenders to deal with.
The MP for Dade Kotopon, Nii Amasah Namoale, who doubles as the Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, has four challengers including his constiutuency secretary Ms Rita Sowah. Member of Parliament for Obom-Domeabra, Daoud Anum Yemo, faces four other hopefuls.
The MP for Abokobi-Madina, Alhaji Amadu Bukari Sorogho, after vetting will face three other aspirants at the primaries that will select one of them to represent the party at the constituency. At Ada three other party members will be challenging the re-election of Mr Alex Tetteh-Enyo.
At the Trobu/Amasaman, Mr Ernest Attuquaye Armah has five other contestants to deal with, while at Shai Osudoku, five others will be contesting the sitting MP, Mr David Tetteh Assumeng.
In a related development, Zainabu Issah reports that Mr Gedel, lecturer at the Accra Polytechnic one of the aspirants for Ayawaso East has stated that his vision was to open educational opportunities for the NDC youth activist and beyond in the constituency as well as unite the support base of the party in future elections at the constituency through transparent and accountable leadership.
Mr Gedel who is also the NDC polling station Branch Secretary of Kubatubira branch of the East Ayawaso Constituency said he was proud of making the step to improve upon the conditions of the people in the community.
“I want to be able to set a standard in the community and also provide opportunities for the youth in the community,” he said.
He however called for peace and unity among party members and urged them to vote for the victory of the part in the upcoming elections.
He also appealed to the aspirants to desist from any action that could disturb the peace and unity of the party.