NDC opens nominations at regional level

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has opened nominations for candidates who wish to contest executive positions at the regional level.

A statement signed by Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, General Secretary of the party, urged all members who are interested in regional executive positions to pick forms from the party’s regional offices across the country to enable them to complete the necessary documentations. 

The nominations are opened for five working days, beginning from Monday, October 27, at 9:00 a.m. to Friday, October 31, 2014, at 5:00 p.m.  

This exercise is pursuant to Article 20 (2&3) of the party’s constitution, which states that nominations shall be opened for party members desirous of contesting regional executive positions.

Relatedly, the National Executive Committee of the NDC has given approval  for the setting up of a  National Congress Planning Committee charged with the conduct of the regional and national congress to elect national officers.

The Committee has under it sub-committees  which include the  Publicity, Material and Logistics, Sanitation, Boarding and Lodging, and Electoral. 

The party had to postpone its regional and national elections because an aggrieved member of the party, Njonolah Linus, dragged it and its executive to court for allegedly overstaying their tenure of office.

In an effort to reconcile party differences, the NDC opted for an out-of-court settlement by expunging a controversial clause which stated that, “before a member contests the regional elections, he or she must have held a position at the lower level of the party or in government.”

The formation of the Congress Planning Committee is also another step towards satisfying the concerns of aggrieved members of the party.

Mr Asiedu Nketia said the need to expunge the clause was imperative as it  would help to restore harmony and fair play within the party and curb the court cases.

He stressed that the withdrawal of the clause from the guidelines would go a long way to give equal opportunity to members interested in contesting party positions to pick forms since the nominations will re-open for five days.

“As a party that believes in the rule of law, [and] respects the Judiciary, we are waiting for the determination of the case in Court. Once it is determined, we will go ahead with the regional conferences then after that we will do the national congress.”