Stop Your Men! …From MP Primaries

IT IS a clear lack of equity and glaring injustice for government appointees at all levels, including Chief Executives heading state institutions and even  Deputy Chief-Of- Staffs to be allowed to partake in the upcoming parliamentary primaries of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), whereas the same opportunity has been officially denied all Metropolitan, Municipal, District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) and Constituency Executive members of the party, Odeneho Kwaku Appiah, the Affigya Kwabre South NPP Chairman has complained.

He said what ought to have happened is that the same set of reasons used to ban the MMDCEs and Constituency Executive members of the party should be extended to cover all government appointees across board so as to enhance party unity and cohesion.

“I don’t understand this policy by the party which prevents Constituency Executives from contesting for the parliamentary position in their respective constituencies where there an incumbent NPP MP. Yet, this same party has allowed government officials at all levels, especially CEOs and others, to take part in the upcoming party primaries. It is not right,” Odeneho Kwaku Appiah complained while addressing party faithful in his constituency.

According to him, the directive from the NPP leadership has the tendency of creating unnecessary tension and rancour in the party, ahead of the 2020 crucial polls.

In this regard, Odeneho Kwaku Appiah has suggested the NPP leadership extends the ban on Chief Executives heading state institutions and other government appointees.

“If you have ban the Constituency Executives form contesting in the polls, then extend that same law to the Chief Executives and others occupying government appointments in order to help boost party unity and peace”.

According to him, the practice of democracy doesn’t necessarily mean that there should also be elections in the selection of parliamentary candidates.

The Affigya Kwabre South NPP Chairman expressed worry about the sizeable  number of government appointees and Chief Executives heading state institutions that have expressed the desire to contest for parliamentary seats in 2020.

Odeneho Kwaku Appiah, who was speaking during the inauguration of the NPP Affigya Kwabre South Youth Wing, warned that the “mad rush” for MP seats by Chief Executives heading state institutions and government appointees might create avoidable problems in the party.

He was of the view that if the NPP indeed wanted to win all the 47 seats in the Ashanti region,  “then let’s maintain our 44 MPs and together fight to take the three seats that are currently in the hands of the NDC”.

RESIGN NOW!!!

Way back in November 2017, the NPP National Council, which is the second-highest decision-making body pursuant to Article 9 B of the party’s constitution, had unanimously resolved that all persons serving as MMDCEs who wish to contest as parliamentary candidates in constituencies where the party has sitting members of Parliament are not illegible to contest unless they resign from their current positions at least three years before the ensuing general elections.

The NPP National Council also resolved that regional chairpersons, regional secretaries, regional treasurers, constituency chairpersons, constituency secretaries and constituency treasurers, are also not eligible to contest as parliamentary candidates in constituencies where the party has sitting Members of Parliament, unless they resign three years before the national general elections

Announcing the National Council decision at a Press Conference, the NPP General Secretary, John Boadu noted: “We are not going to give you a chance to hold a position to use it for your own advantage and cause a lot of disaffection in the constituency, and wait till a month to primaries and say I am resigning to contest. We have seen such things for far too long.”