The Regional Executive Committees of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) have been asked to stick to the approved guidelines for the conduct of the party’s upcoming Parliamentary primaries in constituencies where the party has no incumbent Members of Parliament otherwise known as “Orphan Constituencies”.
General Secretary of the NPP, Lawyer Justin Frimpong Kodua, has said the attention of the National Executive body of the Party has been drawn to various directives issued by some Regional Executive Committees to aspiring candidates on the conduct of the Party’s upcoming parliamentary primaries in “Orphan Constituencies”.
According to him, the directives include, but are not limited to the fixing of tentative dates for the conduct of the parliamentary primaries, charging of ‘development levy’, among others.
“While the national executive body acknowledges and appreciates the otherwise good intentions behind these decisions, you are hereby reminded that directives governing the conduct of elections of the Party can only be issued by the National Executive Committee, the appropriate body constitutionally mandated to do so” a statement signed by the General Secretary added.
By this statement, Mr. Kodua said all Regional Executive Committees are therefore directed to cease forthwith, the issuance of any directives on the conduct of parliamentary primaries unless and until same have been approved by the National Executive Committee in accordance with the Constitution of the Party.
The General Secretary emphasized all monies taken from the prospective parliamentary candidates pursuant to these unauthorized and unapproved directives must be refunded to such individuals.
“Again, it is directed that, all monies taken from prospective parliamentary candidates pursuant to these unauthorized and unapproved directives be refunded to them in line with the letter and spirit of this communication” he stressed.
