NPP Sets Rules…To Elect Regional Executives

By our Reporter

The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has released guidelines and Modalities which will guide the party to elect or appoint persons to occupy vacant regional executive positions in accordance with the party’s constitution.

The conduct of the party’s forthcoming Extraordinary Regional Delegates Conferences and special Regional Executive Committee Meetings which will be held between May 3rd and 5th, is in pursuance to Article 18 and Article 9 respectively, of the Party’s Constitution. 

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters in Accra yesterday, the National General Secretary of the NPP, John Boadu indicated that the decision to hold these extraordinary regional delegates conferences and special regional executive meetings have been necessitated by the need to fill vacant regional executive positions, occasioned by the recent regional reorganization witnessed in the country. 

“In the light of this, these regional conferences and special regional executive committee meetings shall be held ONLY in regions affected by the regional reorganization. For the avoidance of doubt, the extraordinary regional delegates conferences shall be held in the newly created regions comprising the Oti Region, Western North Region, Bono East Region, Ahafo Region, Savanna Region and North East Region, whereas the “traditional regions” from which these new regions were carved, comprising the Volta Region, Western Region, Bono Region and Northern Region, shall hold special Regional Executive Committee Meetings,” he said.

He quoted Article 9(24) of the party’s Constitution which states that: “any vacancy, which may occur for whatever reason in the membership of the Regional Executive Committee, shall be filled in the case of the Regional Chairperson by the 1st Regional Vice Chairperson; in the case of the 1st Vice Chairperson by the Regional, by the 2nd Regional chairperson, and in the case of the Regional Secretary and the Treasurer, by election of the Regional Executive Committee of another officer to hold such office. In the case of any other officer, the Regional Executive Committee shall appoint someone to act. Any person elected or appointed to fill a vacancy shall vacate his or her office at the same time as the other Regional officers at the end of the term of four (4) year,” and said the Special regional executive committee meetings shall be held under the supervision of a National Representative, and shall come off on “Bono Region – 3rd May, 2019, Northern Region – 4th May, 2019, Western Region – 5th May, 2019, Volta Region – 5th May, 2019.”

For the extraordinary regional delegates’ conference, John Boadu averred that that will be held in all the six newly created regions and shall be held on Saturday, May 18, 2019, in all the newly created regions.

He said: “The conference shall be attended by the following delegates as provided for in Article 9(25) of the Party Constitution, a. All Members of the Regional Executive Committee in the Region; b. All Members of Parliament in the Region; c. All Members of the Constituency Executive Committee in the Region;  d. All Regional Representative on the National Council from the Region; e. One TESCON member from each of the recognized tertiary institution in the Region, f. All Founding Members from the Region who were signatories to the registration documents of the Party at the Electoral Commission.” 

H noted that a Regional Elections Committee (REC) will be constituted clothed with the duty to conduct the Regional Executives’ elections on May 18, 2019 at a Venue as the REC may determine. 

The party had this formed the committees appointing chairpersons to help move the mandate of the said Elections Committees forward.

He stressed that a member of the Regional Elections Committee shall not be eligible to contest for any position in the Regional elections and that only delegates to the Extraordinary Regional Delegates Conference shall have the right to vote by proxy.

“Applicants who wish to contest in the Regional Executive Elections shall pay to the Chairperson of the Regional Elections Committee a non-refundable nomination fee of One Thousand Ghana cedis (GHC1,000.00) for the Chairperson position and Five Hundred Ghana cedis only (GHC500.00) for other positions….Prospective aspirants shall NOT be denied access to procure the Application Form.”

The party will on Tuesday, April 23, 2019 open nominations for interested persons to pick their forms and file them by close on Friday April 26, 2019 from their respective Regional Elections Committees.

Vetting however comes off between April 29 and 30, 2019, and the Vetting Report should be ready on Thursday, May 2, 2019.

John Boadu also mentioned that in the event of disqualification, any disqualified aspirants may petition the National Secretariat for redress by Friday, May 3, 2019 and decision on such petition shall be communicated by Monday, May 6, 2019, which decision shall be final. 

He appealed to all stakeholders especially the would-be candidates for the various positions in the extraordinary delegates’ conference and their supporters to respect the rules of engagement and conduct this exercise with the necessary candour.