The New Patriotic Party (NPP), has suspended all members who invoked curses on National executives on allegations of disqualification of preferred candidates.
Addressing a news conference in Accra, General Secretary of the NPP, John Boadu, said the suspension will hold while disciplinary action is taken against them. Mr Boadu who did not take the threat kindly said such an act is alien with the NPP.
In the words of the NPP chief scribe ” The Party has observed, rather worryingly, the conduct of some members claiming to be invoking curses on the Party Leadership and in particular, on members of NEC on allegations that their preferred Candidates have been disqualified by NEC from contesting in the Primaries.
We are completely appalled by such gross misconduct. The Party is instructing Constituency Executives in the Constituencies where this unfortunate incident happened, to immediately suspend all those involved in this awkward behavior while instituting appropriate disciplinary actions against them in line with Article 3 and 4 of the Party Constitution.”
The Press Conference was to outline modalities for organising the upcoming parliamentary elections in the 168 Constituencies where the NPP has sitting Members of Parliaments (MPs). Mr Boadu said the Party will organise its impending parliamentary elections base on strict COVID-19 protocols.
The party will provide nose masks and alcohol-based sanitisers to all delegates and observe strictly social distancing protocols. The elections scheduled to take place on June 20 will be organised at the ward level with not more than 100 people at a time. He said the election will start at 7 a.m. and end at 1 p.m. after which counting will start.
He said there will be no election in constituencies that have unopposed candidates adding electionshave been suspended in Kwadaso, Gusheku, Dorma central, Krachi West constituencies. He confirmed that the National Council of the party has accepted President Akufo-Addo as the candidate since he is the only candidate to have filed. Mr Boadu said a date for his acclamation will be announced soon.
GUIDELINES AND MODALITIES FOR THE PARLIAMENTARY PRIMARIES
Voting Day Regulations:
1) The Primaries shall be held on Saturday, June 20, 2020 on Electoral Area basis per the Electoral Commission’s designation
2) Voting shall be supervised by the Electoral Commission of Ghana assisted by the respective National Parliamentary Vetting Committees
3) Delegates shall comprise all Polling Station executives; all Constituency Executives; 5 members of the Constituency Council of Elders; 5 members of the Constituency Council of Patrons; as well as any founding member of the Party from the Constituency, who was a signatory to the registration document of the Party at the Electoral Commission.
4) The five (5) members of the Constituency Council of Elders; the five (5) members of the Constituency Council of Patrons; all the members of the Constituency Executive Committee; as well as the Party’s Founding members who were signatories to the registration document of the Party at the Electoral Commission shall all be accredited to vote at the Constituency Secretariat.
5) The Polling Station Executives and the Electoral Area Coordinators shall be accredited to vote at the Electoral Area voting centre.
6) The Constituency Album which has been broken down into Electoral Area Album shall be used to identify all delegates who are eligible to vote in their respective Electoral Areas.
7) Delegates will be required to produce an NPP Membership ID Card or any other recognized National ID card to entitle them to vote
8) Proxy voters shall be accredited delegates in the Constituency
9) Voting starts at 7 a.m. and ends at 1 p.m.
10) Each delegate will be required to thumbprint in front of his or her preferred Candidate on the ballot paper that will be issued
11) A Ballot Paper will not be counted if:
a) it does not bear the official validating stamp of the Commission.
b) it is not thumb printed by the delegate to clearly identify the preferred candidate he/she is casting the vote for.
c) it is not thumb printed at all
d) it is thumb-printed more than one candidate on the ballot paper.
e) it is thumb-printed in such a way that the choice of the delegate is not clear.
f) it has mark(s) that identifies who the delegate is not clearly defined.
12) Counting & Declaration of Results:
a) Counting of ballot will be done immediately after the close of Polls at each Electoral Area Polling Centre and at the Constituency Secretariat Polling Centre
b) Ballot will be counted and declared by the EC Presiding Officer in the presence of Candidates’ Agents.
c) Counting shall not begin until after 1pm
d) Each Candidate will be represented by One (1) Polling Agent at each Voting Center (i.e. Electoral Area).
e) The results of each Electoral Area Polling Centre and that of the Constituency Secretariat Polling Station will all be collated at the Constituency Secretariat which shall be the Constituency Collation Centre.
f) Only Candidates and their Agents (1 each) will be allowed entry at the Constituency Collation Centre
g) The Electoral Commission’s District Officer at the Constituency Secretariat will do the final declaration of results for the Constituency Primaries.
13) Voting Offences:
It is an offence to:
a) vote or attempt to vote more than once at the primaries.
b) buy or sell a vote
c) compel somebody to vote in a particular way
d) obstruct a delegate from freely exercising his or her right to vote
e) display your marked ballot paper in such a way as to make it known to others the candidate you are voting for.
f) take photo of how he/she voted in any particular way.
14) Code of Conduct for Candidates
a) Candidates shall cease all forms of campaign activities by midnight (12 am) of June 19, 2020
b) Candidates shall campaign on issues and refrain from leveling unsubstantiated allegations, personal attacks and vilifications against their opponents
c) No candidate shall undertake any activity that will polarize the Constituency along tribal, religious and other factional lines. Candidates shall also require their supporters not to engage in any of these activities
15) Disputes arising out of the voting process shall be referred the National Parliamentary Vetting Committee for amicable resolution.
Story filed by Bright Ntramah.
