NPP SETS JUNE 20 FOR PARLIAMENTARY PRIMARIES

The governing New Patriotic Party(NPP) will have its much-awaited parliamentary primaries for the 168 constituencies where it has sitting Members of Parliament (MPs) on June 20, 2020.

The parliamentary primaries have been outstanding since April 25th, 2020 due to the outbreak of the coronavirus disease which culminated in the imposition of restrictions on movements and mass gatherings as a preventive measure.

The June 20 primaries will therefore, enable the party to select the last batch of parliamentary candidates for the December 7, 2020 elections will starts at 7:00am and ends at 1:00pm

The parliamentary primaries are expected to be held at the electoral areas and not the previous format whereby all the delegates met to vote at one place.

Speaking at the press conference on Monday 8th June 2020, the General Secretary, Mr. John Boadu, confirmed that the primaries will take place in 168 constituencies where the Party has sitting MPs to elect its Parliamentary Candidates for the 2020 General Elections on June 20, 2020.

The Party has also resolved to acclaim the sole candidate who had filed his nomination to contest in the Presidential Primaries, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, as the Party’s 2020 Presidential Candidate.

These critical decisions were taken by the party at a National Executive Committee (NEC) and National Council meetings jointly held on Wednesday, June 3, 2020, at the Alisa Hotel in Accra.

Mr. John Boadu made known that the date for the acclamation of the Presidential Candidate and his Running Mate will soon be communicated to the general public.

The party wishes to emphasize that the Primaries shall be conducted in strict compliance with the Covid-19 health protocols announced by His Excellency President Nana Akufo-Addo. Accordingly, the Party, while making sure that not more than 100 people congregate at a voting centre, will also be making available, alcohol-based hand sanitizers at each polling centre for delegates to sanitize their hands before participating in the polls. Equally, the Party has procured nose masks which shall be given to every delegate.

Voting Day Regulations

The Primaries shall be held on Saturday, June 20, 2020 on Electoral Area basis per the Electoral Commission’s designation

Voting shall be supervised by the Electoral Commission of Ghana assisted by the respective National Parliamentary Vetting Committees

Delegates shall comprise all Polling Station executives; all Constituency Executives; 5 members of the Constituency Council of Elders; 5 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.

The five (5) members of the Constituency Council of Elders; the five (5) members of the Constituency Council of Patrons; all the members of the Constituency Executive Committee; as well as the Party’s Founding members who were signatories to the registration document of the Party at the Electoral Commission shall all be accredited to vote at the Constituency Secretariat.

The Polling Station Executives and the Electoral Area Coordinators shall be accredited to vote at the Electoral Area voting centre. The Constituency Album which has been broken down into Electoral Area Album shall be used to identify all delegates who are eligible to vote in their respective Electoral Areas.

Delegates will be required to produce an NPP Membership ID Card or any other recognized National ID card to entitle them to vote.

The Proxy voters shall be accredited delegates in the Constituency and Each delegate will be required to thumbprint in front of his or her preferred Candidate on the ballot paper that will be issued

A Ballot Paper will not be counted if: it does not bear the official validating stamp of the Commission. it is not thumb printed by the delegate to clearly identify the preferred candidate he/she is casting the vote for.

 

Report by Benard K Dadzie

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