Four of the NPP flag bearer aspirants have expressed disgust about the poor nature of the party’s voters register which they believe when not corrected will taint the credibility of the August 7, 2010 national delegates’ election which will help to elect a flag bearer to run in the 2012 general election.
This error, they believe, when not rectified will prevent the election from being free, fair and transparent which will have serious repercussions for the party and the entire voting process.
The four aspirants expressed their dissatisfaction through their representatives who addressed a press conference on Wednesday, 14th July, 2010 at the press centre in Accra.
Addressing the press, Mr Felix Fonder, who represented Prof Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, noted that it was important for them to address these problems since it had the potential of disrupting the August 7, national delegates’ election.
“It is important to make it clear that our interest is in having free, fair and transparent election in order to advance the cause of the party,” he said.
The press conference had been organised by representatives of four out of five contestants to enhance post election cohesion and unity among party members even after the August election.
“Therefore, any act that will not enhance transparency, they said must be avoided especially since every event in the country points to victory for the party in the upcoming general elections,” he noted.
According to them, they had resorted to the media because frantic efforts to get the national executives address the problems had failed.
Their grievances ranged from problems in the party’s electoral register to the non-availability of the register even to the national electoral committee when the party has less than a month to the polls.
Issues about the voters register included “the seeming lack of clarity in constituting an acceptable register for the conduct of the delegates’ election.”
They believed the rules and regulations which the party leaders had promised to stick to had not been followed strictly since photo albums that had been promised to be used for the process to enable delegates show their identification before casting their vote are yet to be provided for the various constituencies and the National Electoral Commission which will supervise the election.
Though aspirants were promised a copy of the album not less 2nd June, 2010, after vetting; and delegates who desired to vote by proxy had up to 25th June to submit their applications, nothing of that seemed to be in the limelight.
These, they believed, when not addressed; would not help in the smooth running of the electoral machine of the party which is meant to produce a credible candidate that would lead the party to victory come 2012.
The four gentlemen including Mr Felix Fonder, Ken Amankwah, Nana Prempeh Yaw Asamoah who represented Prof Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, Isaac Osei, John Kodua and Alan Kyerematen respectively, urged the executives to address their grievances and go according to laid down processes to ensure fairness.
STORY: KWAKU NTI, UNIVERSITY OF GHANA, INTERN AND SANDRA EFFAH, JAYEE INTERN