Sisala East NPP youth seeks clarification on parliamentary candidate

Kumasi, Sept. 27, GNA - The New Patriotic Party (NPP) youth wing in the Sisala East constituency has called on President Kufuor to clear the air on the fielding of an NPP candidate for the December polls.

The youth said they wanted the President to tell the party's supporters in the constituency whether he gave the directive to the party not to contest the seat but rather allow Mr Moses Dani Baah, Deputy Minister of Health and the PNC parliamentary candidate alone to contest the seat.

Making the call through the Ghana News Agency in Kumasi on Saturday, Mr Tahiru Issahaku, the constituency youth organiser and spokesman, said the call to the President had become urgent in view of the refusal of the National Executive of the party to respond to their demand for explanation on the matter.

Mr Issahaku said in the event of the President also failing to respond to their plea, they would be forced to field an independent candidate or at worst vote for the NDC.

He said the present situation was unacceptable to the youth, since supporters of the PNC in the constituency were taunting them and had subjected them to all manner of insults and the casting of insinuations.

In any case, Mr Issahaku pointed out, the supporters of the PNC in the constituency were not campaigning for President Kufuor but for Dr Edward Mahama and therefore did not see the rational behind the NPP refusing to field a candidate.

What is even more worrying to the youth in the constituency, he said, was the fact that the party hierarchy had not held any meeting with the constituency executive on the issue for an agreement or compromise to be reached as had been done in other constituencies where the NPP was not fielding candidates.

In such constituencies, the pictures of the parliamentary candidate and that of President Kufuor are pasted side by side to indicate that the people will vote for the President in the presidential elections, a situation that was quite different in the Sisala East constituency.

Mr Issahaku recounted a statement made by the late Alhaji Imoru Egala in the early days of Ghana's politics to the effect that, the "Gelibaga", the stronghold of the UP then, will not be developed until they signed a peace pact with the CPP.

"So that in an attempt not to field a candidate, the NPP is not only lending credence to that statement but also depriving the people of the constituency of voting for their political persuasion". Mr Issahaku said this statement could be verified from the Wulembelle Kuoro, who is still alive.

He wondered why even in the past when the NPP was in opposition it fielded candidates in the constituency but would not field one now. The youth organiser said, there was massive support for the party in the constituency and were ready to vote for the party come December, but said the failure of the party to field its own candidate will not only dampen their spirits but will erode any confidence they have in the party, besides being subjected to ridicule.