Volta NDC lifts ban on parliamentary primary campaigns

The Volta Regional Executive Committee, of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has lifted ban on campaign activities for the 2019 parliamentary primaries.

Mr James Gunu, the Regional Secretary in a press release signed and copied to the Ghana News Agency, said lifting of the ban followed the announcement of the Party's General Secretary guidelines and time table for the conduct of the primaries to select candidates for the 2020 parliamentary elections.

He asked all eligible party members who were desirous to contest in the primaries to pick and complete in triplicate nomination forms from the constituency offices at a non-refundable fee of GH¢ 2,000.00

Mr Gunu said any eligible party member that had been denied access to the nomination forms “for reasons, which must be stated from the constituency office” could obtain them from the Regional or the National Headquarters “according to Section 4 (D) of the Guidelines”.

He said processes for selecting the Party’s candidates for the 2020 elections would also commenced immediately with the picking of the nomination forms from July 10thto 12th 2019, while the main election was slated for August 24th 2019.

Mr Gunu said filing of nomination forms would commence from July 18th to 19th 2019, vetting of aspirants from July 24th to 25th 2019, while petitions would be received from July 26th to 27th2019, as well as appeals on July 29th to 31st 2019.

He said on submission of the completed forms, male aspirants were required to make a non-refundable deposits of GH¢25, 000.00, while females and Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) GH¢ 12,500.00.

Mr Gunu said the Regional Executive Committee had also approved Investment Levies of GHC10, 000.00 for new male entrants and GHC5, 000.00 for sitting Members of Parliament, current executives of the party at all levels, new female entrants and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).

He said the Committee also unanimously agreed that revenue generated from the sale of nomination forms be lodged in the constituencies' account until further directives, adding “filing fees must be paid into the bank account provided in the guidelines whilst the Investments Levies are paid into the regional account provided by the Regional Treasurer”.

Mr Gunu said vetting of the aspirants would be done at the regional level by a committee composed of the National and Regional Executives with Constituency Core Executives and their Election Directors as observers, and advised all party members to strictly adhere to the rules and the guidelines in order to ensure free, fair, credible, and transparent elections.