Let’s show we are the citadel of democracy in Africa - NPP urges members ahead of primaries

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has urged its members and stakeholders in the primaries to once again demonstrate to the rest of the world that the Danquah-Busia-Dombo political tradition is indeed deserving of its enviable accolade as the citadel of democracy on the continent of Africa and beyond on the occasion of its parliamentary primaries set for Saturday, June 20.

This, the party said, will only be realized if all the stakeholders adhere strictly to the rules of engagement spelt out by the National Executive Committee (NEC) including the Covid-19 health protocols for the conduct of the exercise, and accordingly approach same with the necessary finesse and candour that it deserves.

The party also noted that the timing of these primaries was very crucial because it is the first democratic exercise involving mass participation that the country is going to experience since Ghana recorded her first two Covid-19 cases and the accompanying restrictions.

In view of this, the party said it is important in sending the right signals that the country can equally undertake the other democratic exercises including the continuation of the Ghana Card registration exercise across the country, the EC’s upcoming new voter registration and the conduct of the December 7 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.

The NPP made this call in a statement issued and signed by its General Secretary, John Boadu, on Friday, June 19.

The party, in the statement, commended all individuals including the aspiring Parliamentary Candidates who graciously withdrew from the contest to support other candidates in deference to the interventions made by some Party Elders and NEC in the supreme interest of the party.

It also congratulated those who were cleared to participate in the contest and wished them the best of luck in the primaries.

Find full statement below:

GOODWILL MESSAGE FROM THE NPP ON THE OCCASION OF THE PARTY’S PARLIAMENTARY PRIMARIES ON SATURDAY

As the NPP goes to the polls on Saturday, June 20, 2020, to elect its Parliamentary Candidates in the 168 Constituencies where the party has sitting Members of Parliament, the party wishes to first of all commend all individuals who have played diverse roles towards ensuring that the processes leading to the primaries have thus far been smooth.

The party is particularly grateful to the aspiring Parliamentary Candidates who graciously decided to withdraw their Nomination from the contest to support other Candidates in deference to the interventions made by some Party Elders and the National Executive Committee (NEC) in the supreme interest of the party.

The party is equally thankful to the teeming supporters of all the aspiring Candidates for their cooperation thus far. In respect of aspiring Parliamentary Candidates who have been cleared by NEC to contest in the primaries, the party congratulates them on this feat and wishes them the very best of luck in the primaries.

Undoubtedly, the NPP primaries is the first democratic exercise involving mass participation that the country is going to experience since Ghana recorded her first two Covid-19 cases and the accompanying restrictions.

In view of this, the timing is very crucial in sending the right signals that the country can equally undertake the other democratic exercises ahead of us including the continuation of the Ghana card registration, the EC’s upcoming new voter registration and the conduct of the 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.

More importantly, these primaries provide the NPP yet another fine opportunity to demonstrate its unrivaled democratic credentials which have endeared the party to the rest of the world as the citadel of democracy in Africa and beyond.

It is instructive to remind ourselves that other countries in Africa and elsewhere including Guinea, Mali, Cameroon, Burundi, Benin, South Korea among others have all been able to successfully hold general elections this year.

If Covid-19 could not stop these countries from organizing public elections, then it certainly should not be able to stop the NPP and Ghana from undertaking similar exercise. Of course, not when we have a President in H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo whose popularity has risen the most during this period of global health crisis for the exemplary leadership he had shown in fighting the pandemic.

The NPP, on the basis of the foregoing, wishes to use this opportunity to appeal to all stakeholders particularly the party’s rank and rank to once again strictly adhere to the rules of engagement spelt out by the National Executive Committee including the Coviid-19 health protocols for the conduct of the exercise, and accordingly approach same with the necessary finesse and candor that it deserves.

Let it be said once again that the NPP went into these primaries and came out as a much stronger party poised to winning the 2020 general elections in order to continue to deliver prosperity to the Ghanaian people. It is indeed doable, and the NPP shall do it again for the love of God and country.

Thank you.