Political parties reluctantly prepare for battle in new constituencies

Political parties are not taking chances and are feverishly planning to elect their parliamentary candidates for the newly created constituencies in spite of the numerous court cases against their creation.

The ruling NDC's timetable is already out and the party hopes to close nominations by the end of this month for the primaries on August 5.

Deputy General Secretary, George Lawson, told Joy News their objective is to sweep all the seats in the December elections.

He said even though the NDC is part of the suit seeking to prevent the EC from organising the Wulensi bye election, it has, like all the other parties filed to contest in the same bye-election.

George Lawson further stated the NDC has opened nominations in 61 constituencies.

He accused persons within the NPP of being hypocritical on the issues of the new district.

According to him, some persons who lost the NPP primaries went to lobby the EC quietly to split constituencies so they can contest in the upcoming elections but only came out publicly chastising the EC for creating the new districts.

He said the NDC is ready to win every single seat of the newly created district.

The Convention Peoples Party is accusing government of a deliberate ploy intended to manipulate the pending elections.

CPP Director of Communications, Nii Armah Akomfrah however told Joy News they are going all out with the hope of finding interested candidates for as many seats as possible.

This is unsatisfactory. This is unreasonable and all that the government has succeeded in doing is to once again cloakd itself a coat of incompetence.

Because where in the world does any country seek to introduce 40 new constituencies in an election year, let alone four months into an election,” he lamented.

He said it will be difficult for any party, except the NDC to contest in all the constituencies.

General Secretary of the Peoples National convention, Bernard Mornah said his party has already set the ball rolling and hopes to annex some of the new seats to increase its representation in the next Parliament.

The Progressive Peoples Party, the PPP says it sees it an opportunity to win some seats.

PPP Chairman, Nii Allotey Brew Hammond told Joy News it is an opportunity for his party to test their strength.

Chairman of the main New Patriotic Party, Jake Obetsebi Lamptey will not give details about NPP's plans but says his party will contest all legally created constituencies.