Election 2000?MPs and Ministers defect to Reform

In its lead story, the Dispatch says that as at the weekend, the National Reform Party (NRP) was coming to terms with the defection of 51 Members of Parliament and 17 Ministers of State from the ruling NDC to join the its fold.

The paper says a number of factors have been responsible for the defection of the MPs, who make up little over 38 % of the NDC?s 133 parliamentarians.

According to the Dispatch, although the defections of the MPs have been on the quiet, the manner in which some of them have been asking their organisers to sign up with the NRP in their various constituencies, presupposes that they are preparing the grounds for their ?open? or public defection in mid-June, 2000. The paper says rumours that candidates for the NDC in the 200 constituencies would be selected by the party to avoid primaries, are said to have played a part in the decision of the MPs to defect.

The Dispatch continues that although these are just rumours, no senior party official has denied them. The paper says in fact, one is even reported to have explained that although a firm decision has not been taken, the NDC was still thinking of an appropriate mechanism to avoid primaries, which he described as ?divisive?.