A lot of Ghanaians, and members of the largest opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), received with mixed reactions the decision to expand the Electoral College of the party to about 115,000 delegates.
The anti-expansionists argued that the proposed expansion was not equitable, since there were some big constituencies in densely-populated areas that had fewer polling stations than some smaller constituencies.
The pro-expansionists, however, pushed the idea of involving the grassroots of the party in decision-making, which would also reduce incidents of bribing delegates.
Therefore, when the National Delegates’ Conference of the NPP met last year, to approve the proposal for the expansion of the electoral College for the selection of the party’s presidential candidate for the 2012 general elections, among other sweeping constitutional amendments to the party constitution, a lot of political pundits have been looking forward to tomorrow, which is the date for the election of the party’s flagbearer.
The NPP Electoral College is the largest on the continent of Africa, and the success or otherwise of the congress is of immense importance to Ghana’s quest to entrench her democratic credentials.
Much as the various campaigns by the flagbearer aspirants, ahead of tomorrow’s election, have not been without rancor and insults, especially among the supporters of the main protagonists, The Chronicle believes so far good, since these things are normal with any fiercely contested election.
One other issue that also continues to negatively tag this election is the perception of a grand design to rig the polls for a particular candidate.
Much as the reactions of the national executives of the party to disabuse peoples minds of these perceptions has not been the best, The Chronicle believes that tomorrow presents the most opportune time for the national executives to prove their critics wrong, by organizing free and fair elections.
Tomorrow’s NPP congress is, indeed, a historic one, and the Electoral Commission, which will conduct the elections, as well as the New Patriotic Party, should not fail Ghanaians. The Chronicle would want to wish the party a successful congress, and may the best candidate win.
