Defeated NDC Parliamentary Aspirant to go independent

Winneba (C/R), June 28, GNA - Mr Joakim William Arthur-Simpson, who lost in the Effutu Constituency Primaries of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Monday, said he had resigned from the Party with immediate effect to contest Election 2004 as an independent candidate. Mr Arthur-Simpson, who personally sent a copy of his resignation letter to the Ghana News Agency Office at Winneba, accused the Party Leadership of bending the rules to favour Mr Mike Allan Hammah, the incumbent Member of Parliament, who beat him at the primaries.

The letter was addressed to the Constituency Chairman of the Party with copies to the Regional and National Chairmen of the Party. He said he could not "be with a group which bends the rules to favour one candidate with the support of the Founder of the Party and some mafia group".

Mr Arthur-Simpson polled 65 votes against the 85 obtained by Mr Hammah at the primaries held on Sunday. Some NDC Officials from the National and Central Regional Secretariat of the Party witnessed the election, which conducted in a peaceful and orderly manner and was supervised by officials of the Electoral Commission.