There is currently a growing confusion within the New Patriotic Party(NPP) in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Constituency of the Western Region over the elections committee.
Some constituency executives, as a result, boycotted the inauguration of the party’s Polling station elections committee over alleged breaches of the party’s guidelines for the formation of such committees.
They contend that the breaches were constitutional and a deliberate attempt to stampede the process in favour of some preferred persons within the constituency.
Speaking to the media, Kwadwo Antiedu Kwarteng explained that the decision to ignore some former constituency executives, assemblymen associated to the party, former Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCES) and polling station executives but rather filled the committtes with some young men polling station executives who are aligned to some individuals in the party as opinion leaders is disingenuous and an act that only seeks to undermine the process and create chaos.
He cited an example of a place like Cyanide and Kwabedu electoral area. “You appoint staff of Mireku Duker as election committee members and christen them opinion leaders, knowing very well that the same people created chaos even during the polling station registration, is a bad decision “
The NPP executive further alleged that the move is deliberately determined to disqualify unjust persons who are not openly supportive of an individual, adding that it will only create confusion in an exercise that seeks to build the party.
The dissatisfied members have now petitioned the party at the national level to dissolve the committees and have them properly reconstituted.
The petition signed by Augustine Quaicoe, the Constituency Organiser; Frank Gyemfi, second vice chairman; and Kwadwo Antiedu Kwarteng, the Financial Secretary, explained that the setting up of the committees did not follow the NPP’s guidelines for putting together such committees and that their petition to the party’s national leadership is as a result of the party’s failure to address the issue at the constituency and regional levels.
Mr Kwadwo Antiedu Kwarteng called on the National executives of the NPP not to see the petition as an expression of minority dissent but a principled call for fidelity to Party rules. “The Party must not be allowed to collapse on the altar of extreme autocracy disguised as expediency or majority will”, he cautioned.
Meanwhile, the petition noted that:
“Contrary to the express provisions of the Party’s guidelines, the Constituency Secretary, Mr. Fuseni Amadu, acting in concert with certain associates, unilaterally selected individuals who do not fall within the categories envisaged by the regulations.
“No meeting of the Constituency Executive Committee was convened to deliberate upon or approve the selection of the Electoral Area Elections Committee members.
“Persons who are merely aligned to particular interests at the polling station level were improperly designated as “opinion leaders” and presented as members of the Committee, thereby circumventing the intent and letter of the guidelines.
“At the inauguration of the Committee, the Regional Secretary, Mr Henry Amankwa Afrifa, openly admitted that he exerted pressure on the Constituency Secretary and the Regional representative to hastily submit names due to time constraints, after failing to comply with the guidelines to submit the names at least 4 days before the opening of nominations, hence resulting in the abandonment of due process.
“Furthermore, names presented at the inauguration differed from previously known submissions, and this was done without any consultation or approval by the appropriate Party organs.
“The Constituency Organiser formally raised concerns with both constituency and regional leadership; however, no lawful or satisfactory resolution was provided.”
For these reasons, the petitioners want the party to declare the committees null and void and reconstitute them.
