NPP to boycott Akatsi-South, Buem bye-elections

THE New Patriotic Party (NPP) has decided not to participate in the Akatsi South and Buem bye-elections scheduled for February 5 and 26, 2013, respectively.

The General Secretary of the party, Mr Kwadwo Owusu-Afriyie, said the decision was taken by the National Executive Committee (NEC).

He noted that the decision would affect any future elections organised by the Electoral Commission (EC) until further notice.

Mr Owusu-Afriyie explained that the nature of the petition challenging the 2012 presidential elections submitted to the Supreme Court outlined evidence that proved that at least one in every eight votes declared by the EC in the December polls was invalid.

He stated that the NPP had raised serious doubts about how the 2012 elections were conducted and, incidentally, the conduct of elections in those two constituencies formed part of the basis of the party's petition.

The Buem seat became vacant following the death of Mr Ford Henry Kamel, even before he was sworn in. He died on December 25, 2012.

The Akatsi South seat also became vacant when Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, who won the seat for the sixth time in the December polls, was elected the Speaker of Parliament.

Both MPs won the seat on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

According to Mr Owusu-Afriyie, any move by the NPP to contest elections organised by the EC would amount to a vote of confidence in the commission whose management of the 2012 election was allegedly fraught with massive fraud.

The 2012 Presidential Candidate of the NPP, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and his running mate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, and the party’s National Chairman, Mr Jake Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey, have petitioned the Supreme Court over irregularities that they believed affected the final results of the polls which declared Mr John Dramani Mahama as President.

"Until further notice, we are not in a position to participate in any elections conducted by the EC as we await the Supreme Court's final decision on the evidence we have brought before it," Mr Owusu-Afriyie.

The  NDC has elected Mr Bernard Ahiafor as its parliamentary candidate for the Akatsi South seat and is yet to organise the primary for the Buem Constituency.