The governing New Patriotic Party has adopted for implementation, what appear to be some radical measures aimed at ‘fortifying’ the structures of the party and particularly maintain cohesion after internal elections, which take place next year.
The measures which were part of resolutions adopted by the party’s National Council at its 5th General Meeting, Tuesday, and meant to position the party firmly for future electoral victories, now disqualify incumbent Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives from contesting parliamentary primaries in constituencies where the NPP has sitting Members of Parliament.
They can only contest primaries with incumbent MPs if they resign from post three months before the next general elections, the party’s acting General Secretary, John Boadu, explained yesterday at a press conference.
“The National Council, which is the party’s Second Highest decision making body, pursuant to Article 9(b) of the party constitution, has unanimously resolved that all persons serving as Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) who wish to contest as Parliamentary Candidates in constituencies where the party has sitting MPs, are NOT ELIGIBLE to contest unless they resign from their current positions at least three years before the ensuing NATIONAL GENERAL ELECTIONS,” Mr Boadu stressed.
What this means is that those interested in such parliamentary primaries for the 2020 elections must be preparing to relinquish their current positions any moment from now.
According to John Boadu, this decision also affects all regional chairpersons, regional secretaries, regional treasurers, constituency chairpersons, constituency secretaries and constituency treasurers.
“The Council adopted these resolutions upon conviction that these decisions are in the best interest of the party and government,” Mr Boadu stated, adding that the decision would prevent needless tensions and conflicts that usually arise out of fierce contests between incumbent MPs and MMDCs, as well as those between MPs and party officers.
“As part of this resolution, council has directed all the 10 regional executive committees to organize an expanded regional executive committee meetings comprising constituency executives to brief them on key amendment proposals that would be considered for adoption at the extraordinary conference,” the NPP acting Secretary disclosed.
He further added that the party’s National Council passed a resolution to “EXTEND THE MANDATE OF ALL SERVING OFFICERS of the party at each level by three months following the expiration of their four year mandate to allow for primaries to be conducted.”
The Council also adopted the report of the ad-hoc committee set up to review and streamline the proposals for amendments to the party’s constitution, subject to approval and final adoption by national conference.
The NPP is expected to hold an extraordinary national delegates’ conference on Sunday, December 17, 2017 in Kumasi to consider and adopt the proposed amendments.
The Council also approved the calendar for programmes and activities of the party presented by the National Secretariat between November 2017 and June 2018.
They include Interdenominational Service for peaceful elections and to mark the 1st Anniversary of NPP victory to be held of December 7, 2017, at the International Conference Centre, Accra; Polling Station Elections in all the 29,000+ Polling Stations across the country, from January 17 to 21, 2018; Elections of Electoral Area Coordinators from January 26 to 29, 2018; Constituency Annual Delegates Conference to elect Constituency Executives, from February 21 to 24, 2018; Regional Annual Delegates Conference to elect Regional Executives, from April 21 to 24, 2018; and National Annual Delegates Conference to elect National Officers, from June 15 to 17, 2018.
Mr Boadu expressed the hope that the party’s rank and file would offer the leadership their full cooperation, to make the upcoming extraordinary national delegates’ conference and the internal primaries a success.
<<Print>>