Aspiring NPP MPs Want Early Primaries

Some aspiring members contestants for parliamentary seats on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party have accused the leadership of the party of resorting to arm twisting tactics to ensure the retention of sitting members of parliament.

This follows revelations that the party will only hold parliamentary primaries in constituencies with NPP sitting members of parliament between May and June next year.

That decision has infuriated some aspiring members of parliament who say think the period for May and June set for the elections is aimed at giving sitting MPs undue advantages in retaining their seats.

One of the aspiring MPs told THE INDEPENDENT on condition of anonymity that: "How can we market ourselves to the electorate when we hold our primaries six months to the next elections? We think the party leadership is giving the sitting MPs an undue advantage and encouraging some of them to continue to be lazy. We demand early primaries."

They contend that if the primaries are held between May and June as planned, all new parliamentary candidates might perform poorly in the next parliamentary elections.

The aspiring MPs insist that the party's position is untenable and amounts to "intra-party abuse of incumbency."

The party's press secretary Kwadwo Afari however disagrees. He says the concerns of the aspiring MPs are unfounded.

Afari reminded everyone that the NPP primaries for the last elections were held between the same period in 2000 yet the party swept to victory in the parliamentary elections.

Afari maintains that it is those without an understanding of the party's organisational structures and operations who are complaining about the dates for the primaries. "They do not understand the rational behind the decision of the party leadership but we will keep explaining to them until they understand."