The National Democratic Congress (NDC), has embraced proposals from its Council of Elders by reducing the filing fee for aspirants seeking to contest the presidential primaries to GHc 300,000.
The Functional Executive Committee (FEC) acting on behalf of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party, has agreed to the mount and reviewed the guidelines for the primaries.
Female contestants are to pay GHc150, 000 while Persons With Disabilities shall pay an amount of GHc 100, 000.
The deadline for the picking of nomination forms has also been extended to Saturday, December 8, 2018, “excluding Friday 7th December 2018 which is a National holiday.”
All the aspirants, aside from former President John Mahama, petitioned the party’s Council of Elders over the filing fees and other grievances.
In the petition, the nine aspirants proposed that fees for collection of forms be GHS 5,000 whiles the filing fees be GHS100,000.
They wanted an endorsement period of 6 weeks and the polling date shifted back to the first week of March 2019.
The nine aspirants also accused key members of the NEC of bias towards Mr.Mahama.
They singled out the NDC Chairman and General Secretary, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo and Johnson Asiedu Nketia as having “made public statements to the effect that they prefer the same individual to lead the party into the 2020 elections.”
Find below the full statement
The Functional Executive Committee (FEC) acting on behalf of the National Executive Committee (NEC) and upon advice from the Council of Elders has reviewed the guidelines for the Presidential Primaries as follows:
- That section 9 of the guidelines is amended to read:
- i) Each contestant shall pay a non-refundable filing fee of Three Hundred Thousand Ghana Cedis (Ghc300, 000.00).
- ii) Female contestants shall pay One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Ghana Cedis (Ghc150, 000.00) while Persons With Disabilities shall pay an amount of One Hundred Thousand Ghana Cedis (Ghc100, 000.00).
- The timetable is also revised as follows:
- Picking of nomination forms by aspirants who petitioned the Council of Elders is hereby extended to Saturday 8th December, 2018 excluding Friday 7th December 2018 which is a National holiday.
- The following dates shall also apply:
- i) Filing of nomination – 17th – 18th December, 2018
- ii) Vetting – 21st – 22nd December, 2018
iii) Balloting – 22nd December, 2018
- iv) Appeals – 22nd – 24th December, 2018
- Consequently the new date for the Primaries is now Saturday 26th January, 2019.
For the avoidance of doubt all other provisions of the guidelines remain unchanged. These decision has been communicated to the Council of Elders, who will be meeting the petitioners tomorrow Thursday, 6th December, 2018 to convey the decisions herein
FEC wishes to use this opportunity to reassure all aspirants of a level playing field to ensure that the outcome of the elections shall reflect the true wishes and aspirations of the entire membership of the NDC.
Signed
Johnson Asiedu-Nketiah
General Secretary
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By: citinewsroom.com | Ghana
