Akufo-Addo, Jake Begin Pre-Primaries Working Tour

Information reaching The Statesman is that Nana Akufo-Addo, the 2012 Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party, and Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, NPP National Chairman, will this weekend embark on a nationwide tour. The purpose of the tour is to help the party to properly manage the crucial parliamentary primaries.

The NPP has fixed 30th April 2011 for its Parliamentary primaries across the length and breadth of the country.

The party, fully aware of how problems associated with the 2008 parliamentary primaries cost them dearly in the general elections, is determined to do whatever is legitimate and possible to ensure a free, fair, disciplined and cordial contest across all constituencies, except Bekwai, Bosome-Freho and Nkawkaw constituencies where the sitting MPs are independent candidates.

The Presidential Candidate and National Chairman are scheduled to meet all aspirants of parliamentary primaries, resolve potential or outstanding disputes and read out the riot act.

This proactive stance is part of efforts to ensure that the party comes out of the April contest intact and with the singular goal of battling the ruling NDC for power in 2012.

The two men will begin their pre-primaries working tour in the Ashanti Region this weekend, according to our sources.

The early primaries are expected to help give the party sufficient time to resolve any possible fallouts from the race. In 2009, the party undertook a series of constitutional reforms, including increasing the number of delegates for parliamentary primaries by at least four-fold. This means that all polling station executives will take part in choosing who represents the party in their various constituencies.

It is anticipated that this will inspire greater acceptability of whoever emerges from the process as candidate. The party is determined to have, as much as possible, problem-free parliamentary primaries.

Indeed, it was because of this that the National Executive Committee of the party resolved to hold all 230 primaries on the same day, 30th April 2011. In the past, primaries were staggered to allow regional executives to personally supervise the constituency contests.

But, the party has taken the decision that it is better to employ the Electoral Commission to supervise all 230 contests even at a huge cost. The EC conducted the historical August 7, 2010 presidential primary which had Nana Akufo-Addo winning by nearly 80%.

But, getting the EC to do it comes with a heavy price tag, which is one of the reasons why the party has to significantly increase the filing fee this time.

Each parliamentary aspirant including sitting Members of Parliament are expected to pay GH¢10,000 as ‘National Party Development Fee’ and another GH¢6,000 for filing fee, all totaling GH¢16,000.

The contest for the NPP Parliamentary opens on 28th February 2011 for filing of nominations and closes on 6th March 2011, whilst the elections would be held on 30th April 2011 in all constituencies.