NDC conference ends in confusion

Adukrom-Akuapem (E/R), Dec. 15, GNA - The delegates conference of the Akropong constituency of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) scheduled for Sunday December 13 ended in confusion.

Earlier on Saturday the constituency Chairman of the party, Mr Willie Addo Brown called for the postponement of the conference at a press conference because the constituency vetting committee could not submit its final report for the candidates to know if they were qualified to contest the election.

He complained that though the committee had not submitted its report to him as the chairman nor pasted it on the notice board as agreed, some of the delegates had got copies of the report and based on that raised protest on some decisions of the committee.

Mr Brown called for the release of the full report of the vetting committee before the conference could be held and said he had sent a letter on the position of the constituency to the Regional Executives of the party calling for the postponement of the delegates' conference.

On receiving the letter the Eastern Regional Secretary of the Party, Mr Anthony Gyampoh, directed that all the delegates and people who had filed their nominations should meet as planned for a way to be found at resolving the issue and if still the vetting committee report could not be produced, another vetting be organized for the conference to come off before the Regional Conference on Saturday, December 19.

On Sunday morning, before the conference could come on, a group of young men invaded the house of Mr Gyampoh and threatened him with death if he came to the conference to conduct the vetting.

A meeting was called between the members of the vetting committee and the some members of the regional and the constituency executive to find a way of resolving the issue and at the end of it the conference at Mampong-Akuapem was closed without the election and the candidates were invited to a meeting at Adukrom-Akuapem.

At the Adukrom meeting, the Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Ahmed Baba Jamal informed the contestants that the full report of the vetting committee would be ready by the end of that day and the election for the positions of constituency youth and women organizers with their deputies would come on the following Monday morning.

He said those candidates who were still holding positions at their branches should ensure that by Monday morning they had submitted their resignation letters to their branches with copies to the constituency else they should consider themselves disqualified as stated in the party's guidelines for the delegates' conference.

Mr Baba Jamal urged other contestants to prepare themselves for the elections on Thursday, December 17. He said the interim report of the vetting committee that was smuggled out into public domain had some faults as far as the interpretation of the guidelines was concerned.

As such after discussions with the committee, it had accepted the faults and so all those who filled their nominations had qualified to contest the election. No sooner had Mr Baba Jamal and majority of the contestants left the meeting place than the constituency chairman, Mr Brown and some few of the candidates came to the place saying that they had arrived for the meeting. When they were informed that the meeting had ended the cursed, swore and threatened some of the regional executives who were around.

The Akuapem North District Chief Executive, Mr George Opare Addo who was around, later informed Mr Gyampoh that after consultation with the Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Baba Jamal, he had agreed that for security reasons all the arrangements made for the conference should be called off until further notice.

In all 85 contestants had filed their nominations to contest for 22 positions in the constituency.