Thoughts from a concerned NDC member on processes, organization of the flagbearer election - Anytime in December 2018 shall be a disaster

I understand there is a NEC meeting tomorrow which may, among others, consider a new date for the Flagbearer-ship election.

I’m of the view that a date in the first quarter of next year would be desirable, preferably a date in February 2019.

Reasons

1. The National Congress to elect new national executives is scheduled for the 17th of November 2018

2. Newly Elected executives would need some rest after the hectic Nation-wide campaign and may therefore have their first meeting a week after congress - Tuesday 20 November for office allocation & bonding perhaps and Tuesday 27 November for a formal handing over and planning events leading to the flagbearer/leadership primaries

3. Party may require a minimum of 10 day for necessary notifications for picking and filing of nomination forms - taking us towards 7 December 2018

4. Notification for Vetting, and then vetting, consideration and announcement of approved candidates could take a minimum of 10 days - taking the party towards 17th December 2017

5. With over 270,000 delegates and elections to be conducted in 275 constituencies across the country, the printing of ballot papers for approved or qualified candidates could take a minimum of 10 days - pushing the process towards 27th December 2017

6. Besides the new national executives must necessarily give candidates/ Flagbearer hopefuls at least one clear month or better still 6 weeks to undertake campaigns without interferences from all national executive hopeful’s campaigning alongside - this May push the process into the 2 week of February 2019

Any attempt to hastily railroad the Flagbearer-ship elections for December would be a disaster!

Let’s us take our time, think through the processes sufficiently, provide enough notifications for each stage to avoid unnecessary litigations. The objective must be to have peace and unity after the primaries towards election 2020. We are not late and we should not be in unreasonable haste!

No single individual must dictate the pace. Organizational success and our collective good must be given premium.

We trust in the collective wisdom of NEC In this crucial matter !

NDC needs internal peace!