Vetting of parliamentary aspirants for the New Patriotic Party held on Saturday, 26th March 2011 and Sunday, 27th March 2011, across the length and breadth of the country has been hailed as successful by party executives and observers alike.

Calls by the party’s national executives and the flagbearer, prior to the vetting, urged aspirants to treat this exercise of electing parliamentary candidates for the party as crucial to the unity required for a formidable campaign to win power in 2012 and bring back hope to Ghanaians. This call has been heeded to by aspirants as was evident in the vetting process in constituencies such as Suhum and Abuakwa North in the Eastern region.

It can be recalled that the 2008 parliamentary primaries in Suhum and Abuakwa North constituencies and also in other constituencies country witnessed some acrimony as some losing candidates in some constituencies threatened to run as independent candidates. However, the main contenders in the 2011 parliamentary primaries in the Suhum constituency, Hon Fred Opare Ansah and Mr Brian Acheampong, who were also the main contenders in 2008, have pledged their unflinching support for whoever emerges as victor in the April 30 primary.

According to them, they have spoken to their respective supporters to ensure that maximum support is given to the NPP’s parliamentary candidate for Suhum to ensure a massive victory for the NPP in the 2012 general elections. Crossing over to the Abuakwa North constituency, the incumbent MP Professor Samuel Kwadwo Amoako and the 2008 NPP MP, Mr Joseph Boakye Dankwa-Adu, who also contested each other in 2008, have also promised their unwavering commitment to support whoever wins the bid to become the NPP’s parliamentary candidate for Abuakwa North. This same feeling of camaraderie has been seeing in all parts of the country. In an interview with The New Statesman the NPP’s Chairman for Ho East, Raybon-Evans Anyadi stated that only one candidate declared his intention to contest the primaries in the constituency.

According to him, Mr David Dickson Dzorkpe went unopposed and as such has been declared winner. Scenes of jubilation and celebration were witnessed among party faithful throughout the constituency.. What this means is that the Atta-Akyeas and co who went unopposed are already NPP parliamentary candidates for their respective constituencies in the run up to the 2012 general elections. When The New Statesman contacted the Volta regional NPP chairman, Ken Nuworsu, he said stated that the vetting of parliamentary candidates in the region have been successful with no report of any incident whatsoever.

This, he attributed, to the determination of aspirants and their supporters to ensure that the NPP came out victorious at the end of the day and also remain focused on singular aim of recapturing power in December 2012. The Ashanti Regional Secretary, Mr Sam Pyne, re-echoed the sentiments of the Volta regional Chairman. He stated that the vetting process took place across five (5) designated centres in Kumasi. Saturday’s proceedings began at 8am at the designated centres, with family members and supporters of aspirants coming to the various centres to offer their support.

He stated that proceedings were peaceful and went on smoothly without any incident. The vetting of all aspirants of the constituencies scheduled for day was completed and will continue on Sunday as planned. The NPP has fixed 30th April 2011 for its Parliamentary primaries across the length and breadth of the country.

The party, fully aware of how problems associated with the 2008 parliamentary primaries cost them dearly in the general elections, is determined to do whatever is legitimate and possible to ensure a free, fair, disciplined and cordial contest across all constituencies, except Bekwai, Bosome-Freho and Nkawkaw constituencies where the sitting MPs are independent candidates.