Region has no locus to to disqualify aspirants--Ras Mubarak

One of the aspiring parliamentary hopefuls for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for Ablekuma North, Mr Mohammed Ras Mubarak, has stated that the regional branch of the party neither has authority nor locus to disqualify any aspirant.
He explained that besides not having the authority, any attempt to disqualify an aspirant based on his personal opinion would be sending wrong signals about the NDC and would also be violating Article 7 of the 1992 Constitution.
Mr Mubarak who picked the number two position on the ballot paper for the primaries to be held on November 26, 2011, noted that if it was wrong for him to criticise the Mills government then those calling for his dismissal must also “find fault and expel former President Rawlings and his wife, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, Mr Alban Sumana Bagbin, Dr Ekwow Spio Garbrah, Boakye Djan, among others, from the NDC for stridently criticising the Mills Administration at one time or the other.”
The Greater Accra Regional Vetting Committee of the party in its report which was made available to the Daily Graphic disqualified four persons from contesting in the forthcoming primaries.
It was, however, undecided on Mr Mohammed Ras Mubarak, and noted that it had left the decision as to whether he should contest on the party’s ticket or not to the national executive of the party.
The report said the regional vetting panel raised issues of various published articles and radio utterances by Mr Ras Mubarak castigating President Mills, the NDC government and the NDC leadership.
It said Mr Mubarak denied being malicious, and explained that he was only offering constructive criticism and that he had on some occasions commended President Mills. “He later apologised when it was pointed out to him that some of his actions and utterances were in bad taste and politically wrong.”
Explaining further, Mr Mubarak said he was not the least perturbed by the unconstitutional behaviour of a few members among the regional executives to leak the report to the press to make it seem like the region’s vetting committee had the final decision on the eligibility of any candidate.
He noted that the one who leaked the report had not read the NDC constitution, particularly Article 39 (e) which stipulated clearly that it was an offence for any member of the party to divulge confidential report of the party to any unauthorised person.
Mr Mubarak noted that he was focused on his campaign, which he said was going well in the constituency, and that the people would vote massively for him to represent the party in the 2012 elections and win the seat for the NDC.
“My eyes are fixed on the ball and I will emerge the winner in the primaries that will be held on November 26, 2011. This is because the NPP that had represented the constituency over the years had not provided leadership. This constituency needs a young and dynamic leadership and I promise to provide that”, he added.
“We have a tantalising opportunity to win the 2012 elections and increase our numbers in Parliament”, he added, and urged leading members of the party not to indulge in activities that would negatively affect the unity and peace needed for the 2012 elections.