Kufuor Can Run Again On NPP Ticket

The General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Dan Botwe says nothing debars President Kufuor from seeking to lead the party in the 2004 general elections. Reacting to comments that President Kufuor may not be able to stand for a third time on the ticket of the party when his current term ends, Mr. Botwe said the party’s constitution is silent on that.

Anyone who wants to stand for more than two terms as presidential candidate of the party is therefore free to do so unlike Ghana’s constitution which debars any individual from standing for President of the country after two terms. Speaking in an interview with JOYFM, Mr. Botwe however noted that the time to talk about another term for President Kufuour is not yet up.

He pointed out that though supporters of the party have the right to pass resolutions for the retention of President Kufuor as flagbearer for the 2004 elections it was too early to pass such resolutions. Meanwhile the Ashanti Regional Branch of the NPP has supported a resolution to retain President Kufuor as the party’s flagbearer for the 2004 elections.

At the party’s first regional delegates congress after last year’s general elections, all the 66 delegates from the 33 constituencies in the Ashanti Region called on the party to retain President Kufuor when it goes to congress on 26th August.

The delegates also proposed the election of a deputy General Secretary as well as two deputy National Organisers, one each for the Northern and Southern sectors of the country. This, the delegates say will enhance the administrative and organizational machinery of the party.

Mr. Dan Botwe however says the resolution to retain President Kufuor would not be considered at the party’s upcoming congress because the period for the election of a flagbearer for the party has not come yet.

The NPP’s national delegates congress is scheduled to take place at the University of Ghana, Legon to elect national officers to run the party. About thirty-four members of the party have filed their nominations to contest for the various positions.