CPP elects presidential candidate in August

Accra, April 25, GNA - The Convention People's Party (CPP) on Wednesday affirmed the third week of August 2007 for election of the party's presidential candidate for Elections 2008.

Filing of nominations for both the flagbearership and national executive posts is slated for June, vetting set for July with the National Delegates' Congress fixed for August, Dr. Edmund Delle, CPP National Chairman, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Accra. He said the newly elected national executives - National Chairman and leader of the party, first and second vice Chairmen, General Secretary, Treasurer, National Organisers, Women and Youth Organisers and other elected officers would be sworn-in in September.

Dr Delle said the party had put in place organisational structures for the Third National Delegates' Congress through mobilization, registration and holding of meetings with all polling station branches. He said in arriving at the activities, it took into consideration the relevant provisions of the Party's Constitution and the tenure of the various local, regional and national branch executives. According to Dr. Delle the Central Committee of the party had directed that the selection of parliamentary candidates should form an integral part of the programme of action of sub-committees of the Party. Meanwhile, aspiring CPP presidential candidate Dr Kwaku Osafo has called on the Central Committee to separate the two elections - flag bearer and national executives.

He said combining these two important elections would put too much pressure on leading members of the party and possibly gave undue advantage to national executives who wish to vie for the flag bearership.

Dr Osafo agreed to the August Congress but suggested it should concentrate on election national executive officers, allow the new executives to organise the flag bearership elections possibly in October or November in due cognisance of the CPP Constitution. On suggestion that CPP lacks credible potential presidential hopefuls, he noted: "Is not the number of people parading as presidential aspirants but their calibre, quality and capacity to lead the nation."

Dr Osafo, who is also a leading member of The Patriots, a political pressure group within the CPP, said within the next few weeks other potential CPP members would declare their intentions. He said: "I have respect for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) aspirants but the numbers are outrageous...it gives the impression that the job of the Chief Executive Officer of the country is out for grabs by anybody.

"Psychologically, the outrageous number of the ruling party's leading members who want to be president is not good for the country." About 20 members of the NPP have declared their intention of contesting the primaries to be the party's presidential candidate.