NDC, NPP, UGM File Nominations

THE leaderships of three political parties yesterday filed their nominations at the Electoral Commission (EC) for their respective presidential tickets for this year’s general elections.

By this development, the flagbearers and running mates of these parties, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), United Ghana Movement (UGM) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), have been duly nominated to contest the December 7 presidential election.

The three parties had earlier, on Monday, lodged with the EC deposits for the registration fees of their presidential and parliamentary candidates.

Candidates making up the presidential tickets of the parties were made to fill forms detailing their personal data and witnessed by a member of their respective parties.

The NDC was the first to file the nomination of its flagbearer, Professor John Atta Mills, and his vice-presidential candidate, Mr Martin Amidu.

It was represented at the registration ceremony by Mr Issifu Ali, National Chairman; Alhaji Huudu Yahaya, General Secretary; Professor Kofi Awonoor and Ms Sherry Ayittey, both National Vice-Chairpersons of the party.

After examining the contents of the forms and expressing his satisfaction, the Chairman of the Commission, Dr Kwadwo Afari Gyan, duly declared Prof Mills and Mr Amidu nominated for the next presidential election.

The UGM was represented at the commission by its flagbearer, Dr Charles Yves Wereko Brobbey, his running mate, Mr Larry Addo, and other high-ranking party officials, who presented the nomination forms of its presidential candidate to Dr Afari Gyan.

Officials of the NPP, led by its National Chairman, Mr Samuel Odoi Sykes, and General Secretary, Mr Dan Botwe, arrived at the commission a few minutes to 4 p.m. to file its nomination for the Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates.

Mr John Agyekum Kufuor, who was a member of the delegation to the EC, said after the ceremony that this year’s elections are crucial to the country’s democratic process.

He said considering the obnoxious state of the economy in comparison to the worsening levels of poverty in the country, the outcome of the December 7 polls should be a true and genuine reflection of the feelings and opinion of the electorate who, he said, are yearning for a change.

He pointed out that change in government would only come through the ballot box and, therefore, threw a challenge to the Electoral Commission to conduct the polls dispassionately to ensure that the results would be acceptable to all political parties.

Dr Afari Gyan said the Commission accepts the challenge and concerns of the NPP and promised to conduct a free, fair and credible elections.