The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has issued a code of conduct for the impending parliamentary primaries, warning candidates and their supporters to refrain from unsubstantiated allegations, personal attacks and vilifications against opponents.
The party cautioned candidates not to undertake any activities that would polarise the constituencies along tribal, religious and other factional lines.
It urged them to refer all disputes that will arise out of the voting process to the National Parliamentary Vetting Committee for amicable resolution after issuing all the qualified parliamentary candidates for the party’s primaries on Saturday June 20, 2020.
NPP General Secretary Mr John Boadu spelt out the code of conduct in the guidelines and modalities for the polls.
He outlined an 18-point guideline for the elections, and indicated the delegates eligible to vote on the day.
These include all Polling Station executives; all Constituency Executives; five members of the Constituency Council of Elders; five members of the Constituency Council of Patrons; as well as any founding member of the Party from the Constituency, who was a signatory to the registration document of the Party at the Electoral Commission.
Five members of the Constituency Council of Elders; five members of the Constituency Council of Patrons and all the members of the Constituency Executive Committee.
Again, the Party’s Founding members who were signatories to the registration document of the Party at the Electoral Commission will also be accredited to vote at the Constituency Secretariat.
Furthermore, the Polling Station Executives and the Electoral Area Coordinators will also be accredited to vote at the Electoral Area voting centre.
The Constituency Album, he explained, has been broken down into Electoral Area Album to be used to identify all delegates eligible to vote in their respective Electoral Areas.
Delegates, Mr John Boadu pointed out, will be required to produce an NPP Membership ID Card or any other recognized National ID card to be entitled to vote.
On counting and declaration of results, the NPP Chief scribe, stated that the process will begin immediately after the polls close at each polling centre.
“Ballot will be counted and declared by the EC’s Presiding Officer in the presence of Candidates’ Agents. Counting shall not begin until after 1pm,” he stated.
He stated that the primaries will take place in all constituencies including outstanding orphan constituencies except where there are unopposed candidates and in specific constituencies where the exercise has been suspended.
The NPP General Secretary warned that aspiring candidates who flout any of the guidelines and modalities and engaged in inappropriate conduct to bring the party’s name into disrepute will be sanctioned and disqualified.
He urged the candidates and their supporters to, therefore, adhere strictly to the rules of engagement in their own interest and that of the party.
Get the full list of all the qualified candidates from page 7.
