NDC Outlines Guidelines And Warns all Aspirants Against Going Independent

The National Democratic Congress has warned all parliamentary aspirants, especially those holding key positions within the party, to rethink their decision to go independent should they lose at the party’s primaries.

‘’Anybody who goes independent has already declared himself out of the party’’ the General Secretary of the party Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia declared.

He made the declaration Thursday at a press conference to outdoor the guidelines for the NDC parliamentary candidates for 2012 parliamentary election. The purpose of the guidelines is to help the party conduct competitive democratic elections for the selection of parliamentary candidates. It is also to ensure free, fair and transparent elections.

‘’ You become a new member once you leave the party and go independent’’ he stated.

He said members should not use their defeat as a way of going independent since their position would not be available on their return to the party.

According to the guidelines, ‘’Male aspirants shall make a non-refundable deposit of Ghc 5,000 whiles female aspirants pay Ghc2,500 on submission of completed forms’’.

According to Mr Nketia, the NDC would provide all candidates elect, especially the females candidates, with all the support during the parliamentary election stressing that’’ a lot of packages would be disclosed after the primaries’’.

Mr Nketia pointed out that the NDC would also empower the youth to view politics as a platform to contribute to national development.

He told members to use the primaries as a unified platform to preach peace for all the other parties to emulate.

He urged all the NDC members and supporters to refrain from any actions that would negatively affect the party.

Thursday the party also opened nominations for the conduct of elections in all the NDC Holding Constituencies for the selection of parliamentary candidates for the 2012 general election.

Already, the regional secretaries of the party had been given nomination forms for onward distribution to the various constituencies.

The nominations would be opened for a period of one month.

If by the close of nominations only one person had filed his nomination as the party’s parliamentary candidate, he would be declared unopposed at the constituency conference.

A person wishing to contest for parliamentary candidate of the party must be a citizen of Ghana who has paid his membership dues and should belong to a branch. He must also be a known and active member of the party for at least two years and not be a member of any other political party.

He must be qualified in terms of the National Constitution to be elected as Member of Parliament.

The party has 116 parliamentarians. The breakdown is as follows:Northern region -22; Volta region -21; Greater Accra -18; Western -11; Central -11; Brong Ahafo - 9; Upper East - 8; Upper West -7; Eastern region - 7; and Ashanti - 3.

The contest is expected to very competitive in the Volta Region which is considered as the World Bank of the NDC and other strong holds in the north and the Greater Accra Region.

Reports indicate that in some constituencies in the Volta Region the race for Parliament on the ticket of NDC will be fierce and interesting. Names making rounds include the Deputy Minister of Information, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa who is eyeing the North

Tongu seat, Mr Fiifi Kwetey, the Ketu South, Mr Richard Quarshigah, Propaganda Secretary and Mr Chris Ackumey, member of the legal team of the party. In the Greater Accra Region, the race will be interesting in the Odododiodioo constituency where Nii Lantey Vanderpuiye, Presidential Aide will slug it out with the incumbent MP.

Meanwhile all is set for the party to hold the southern sector primaries on Saturday to elect candidates to contest on the party’s ticket for orphan parliamentary seats.

The southern sector comprises the Greater Accra, Eastern, Western, Volta and Central regions. In the Greater Accra Region, 37 aspirants will vie for nine slots; Western, 27 for 11; Eastern, 48 for 21; Volta, 2 for one slot. In the Central Region there are eight slots to be grabbed.