The New Patriotic Party (NPP) on May 15, 2022 opened nominations for aspirants interested in contesting for the various regional executive positions.
The nominations are due to be closed tomorrow, and will be followed up with the vetting of aspirants from May 18 to 20, 2022; the hearing of appeals by the National Appeals Committee from May 22 to 23, 2022, and the conduct of elections from May 27 to 29, 2022.
The positions to be contested are the Regional Chairperson; the first Regional Vice-Chairperson; the second Regional Vice-Chairperson; the Regional Secretary and the Assistant Regional Secretary.
The rest are the Regional Treasurer; the Regional Organiser; the Regional Women’s Organiser; the Regional Youth Organiser, and Regional Nasara Coordinator.
A statement signed by the General Secretary of the party, John Boadu, explained that these decisions, among other things, were by the National Council of the party at its meeting held on May 12, 2022.
Forms
The statement said nomination forms could be acquired from the Regional Elections Committee or downloaded from the party’s website, (newpatrioticparty.org) and all social media accounts of the party, for free.
It, however, said upon submission of completed nomination forms to the elections committee, an applicant shall be required to pay to the committee, a filing fee of GH¢5,000 for the Chairperson position; and GH¢ 2,000 for all other positions.
The statement said that no member of the regional elections committee shall be eligible to contest in the regional executives’ elections.
It said electoral area coordinators, polling station executives, constituency executives, metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCEs), ministers of state, and deputy ministers of state, who were desirous of contesting in the regional elections shall first resign their positions.
It said pursuant to Section17(2) of the Political Parties Law, Act 574, which provided that the election of National, Regional and Constituency Officers of every political party shall be conducted under the supervision of the Electoral Commission (EC), the elections shall be supervised by the EC.
It explained that all the processes leading to the elections and other related activities shall be organised and superintended over by a regional elections committee.
Delegates
It said per Article 9 (25), delegates to the regional annual delegates conference shall include all members of the regional executive committee; all Members of Parliament in the region; members of the constituency executive committees; all regional representatives of the national council; 10 members of the council of elders in the region; one TESCON member from each recognised tertiary institution in the region; 10 patrons in the region; and, any founding member(s) from the region who is a signatory to the registration documents of the party at the Electoral Commission.
It explained further that the presence of at least one-third of the delegates of the constituency shall be necessary to constitute a quorum of the conference.
Appeals
The statement noted that disqualified or aggrieved aspirants might petition the national appeals committee for redress whose decision shall be communicated on May 25, 2022.
It said the six-member committee has Dan Botwe, as Chairman with Rev. S. K. Boafo, Dr Clifford Braimah, Joyce Opoku Boateng, and Kwadwo Afari as members, and Iddi Muhayu-Deen as member & secretary.
“Any member of the party or aspirant who feels aggrieved at any point in the process shall exhaust all available internal resolution mechanisms in accordance with Article 4 of the party’s constitution and the decision of the national appeals committee on the matter shall be final and binding,” it stated.