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NDC bars Government officials, others from contesting
party positions
Accra, Nov 28, Ghanadot/GNA - The ruling National Democratic
Congress (NDC) has barred Government Officials, Members of
Parliament, Ambassadors, District Chief Executives and Members
of the Council of State from contesting for any National
Executive position in the party.
The positions are National Chairman, National Vice Chairman,
General Secretary, Deputy General Secretary, National Organizer,
Propaganda Secretary, National Treasurer, National Youth
Organizer, National Women's Organizer and any other slot on the
executive.
In the NDC's Guidelines for 2010 National Delegates Congress,
made available to the Ghana News Agency in Accra, on Saturday,
the party has also expanded its Electoral College for the Youth
and Women's Congress from 33 to about 500 to include all
constituency youth and women organizers and their deputies.
The guidelines also prohibit regional and constituency
executives from contesting for national executive slot unless
the contestant resigns to vie for the elevated post.
The guidelines state that 2010 Congress Vetting Committee
includes a representative each of the Parliamentary Caucus;
Council of Elders; and the Chairman of the National Disciplinary
Committee.
Explaining the rationale for barring government functionaries
from contesting for executive positions, Mr Johnson Asiedu
Nketsiah, the NDC's General Secretary, said the directive was to
eliminate the danger of conflict of interest.
He said both positions - a government functionary and a national
executive -were very crucial for their quest to retain power in
Elections 2012.
"We want all our officers to give of their best hence the need
to decouple the responsibilities."
Reacting to this development, Mr Mohammed Mubarak Abdulai, an
NDC Youth Activist, advised aspirants to be circumspect and
conduct their campaign with decorum, devoid of antagonism and
personality attacks.
In an interview with the GNA, Mr Abdulai advised party barons
and godfathers to be interested in persons with popularity and
the ability to manage an elected office but not focus on
controlling the party machinery with backing people they could
manipulate.
Mr Abdulai also cautioned against using money to influence
people during the campaign, stressing that: "We must avoid
fuelling the public perception that a few anonymous people with
money, irrespective of how it is acquired, can buy positions in
elections."
The party activist reminded aspirants that the nation's
electoral laws frowned on monetary influence in elections "as a
candidate commits the offence of bribery if he or she gives or
receives, or causes to be given or to receive money, a gift, a
loan or something of value as a means of inducing a voter to
vote or not to vote in a certain way.
He said, "as a party in government we must avoid exhibiting
opulence in the conduct of our internal elections as such
behaviours have the potential of denting our image for Elections
2012.
He, therefore, called on the National Executive Committee (NEC)
of the party to live up to its mandate through the enforcement
of all the electoral laws to uphold the sanctity of the
elections.
Mr Abdulai also called on delegates to look beyond monetary
considerations when it comes to deciding who should occupy
executive positions, stressing, "our focus should be choosing
capable men and women of integrity and acumen to lead us to
another electoral victory.
"The 2010 Congress must provide NDC with effective, capable
leaders with the ability to marshal the party to win Election
2012, not those with money to spread around."
GNA
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