Protests in Chiana-Paga as NDC postpones primary again

The Chiana-Paga Constituency in a state of uncertainty amid wild protests following the latest postponement of the parliamentary primary of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the area.

The primaries which were originally scheduled for this Saturday, July 9, 2016, has been scheduled for the next weekend, July 16, 2016.

Some members of the party at Sirigu, a community in the eastern zone of the constituency, reportedly have announced plans to top off their protests with massive rallies and demonstrations in the streets anytime soon.

EC not aware of primary

Some angry supporters of the party, in an interview with Starr News, blamed the delay on the Electoral Commission (EC).

They alleged that the commission had failed to dispatch in time the electoral materials needed for the primary from its (the EC’s) headquarters in Accra but the Upper East Regional Director of the EC, James Arthur-Yeboah, told Starr news the EC was not aware of the upcoming primaries at Chiana-Paga.

“My head office has not told me about any election in Paga. I don’t know anything about any election in Paga. If there is an election there, our head office would call me and I would also call the District Officer. I’m not aware there is any election there,” Mr. Arthur-Yeboah said.

Reason for latest postponement

Initially, the cause for shifting the day, after the aspirants and their camps had settled for the previous date and campaigned vigorously towards it, came as shrouded in mystery as the cause behind the months-long delay of the primary.

The primary, until the previous date was announced, had been delayed for about eight months amid fears the eventual winner of the contest would have too little time to campaign alongside candidates of the other political parties who held their primaries about a year ago in the same area.

The NDC’s leadership, against mounting pressure from the media and other major stakeholders, was tight-lipped in public about what was responsible for the prolonged holdup of the primary. But speculations became rife, as tempers overtook growing impatience particularly in the constituency, that attempts to disqualify one of the aspirants and a petition filed against another with sharp disagreements among supporters of the beleaguered aspirants had brought about the delay.

When Starr News contacted the NDC’s Upper East Regional Secretary, Donatus Akamugre, at the rear of the latest postponement, he linked the change to delays in printing electoral materials and an impending tour of the region by President John Dramani Mahama.

“They had to postpone the primaries to 16th July 2016, due to the preparations towards the electoral materials. We were expecting the materials to have reached the constituency for now. They are yet to conclude with the printing and all those things. And it is not only Chiana-Paga. We have four constituencies in the whole country. We have the Krowor Constituency in Greater Accra, South Tongu Constituency in the Volta Region, Upper West Akyim Constituency, and Chiana-Paga Constituency.

“These constituencies are supposed to be run concurrently. And also given the fact that the President is to be in Upper East on Sunday, certainly Monday, Tuesday would be very busy. So nationally, they decided that the election should be pushed to the next weekend,” the Regional Secretary said.

But a number of disgruntled delegates are not satisfied with the explanation, saying the primary could still come off Saturday before the President’s arrival Sunday. Some also have rubbished the delay in printing the electoral materials needed for the election, calling it a pathetic lapse on the part of the party’s leadership.

Frustrations, fatigue after last-hour change

Three aspirants including the sitting Member of Parliament, Abuga Pele (a tax expert), Jonathan Nyaaba (a conservationist of cultural heritage) and Rudolph Amega-Etego (a veteran legal practitioner) are seeking votes from over 12, 000 delegates who will turn out in at least 48 polling stations.

A letter signed and issued Monday June 20, this year, by the party’s General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, to the Upper East regional executives of the party announcing Saturday, the 9th of July, 2016, as the day of the primary had incited wild jubilations across the constituency with the Constituency Chairman, James Kojo Kupanamo, thanking the national executives profusely in an interview with Starr News.

Thousands of disappointed supporters, who had their bubbles burst unexpectedly at dawn Thursday, say they cannot come to terms with the last-hour change to the primary timetable.

“We have heard severally the election would be organised this day, this day, this day, this day, several times! And this time was sure because there is a letter to that effect. The people are becoming fed up with what is happening. It’s creating acrimony and animosity within the constituency and that must be stopped! Something must be done! People have started calling the constituency executives liars. They are giving us a lot of work. You can imagine the stress they’ve given to the aspirants.

“It is becoming alarming. Our opponents are going round campaigning. We have not had our primary, not to talk about campaigning. But for the intervention of the MP (Abuga Pele) things would have been worse in the constituency as we speak. He has told everyone in the west, the east and the north of the constituency to remain calm,” a deflated Communications Officer of the party for the constituency, Donald Tuumyeridam, told Starr News with a very angry tone.