Accra, May 3, GNA - Former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings on Tuesday picked the nomination form to contest the flag bearer position of National Democratic Congress (NDC) for Election 2012.

The party has fixed July 8-10 as the date for the National Delegates' Congress in the Brong-Ahafo Regional capital, Sunyani, to elect a flag bearer.

The NDC Headquarters was swarmed with sympathisers of the former First Lady, dressed in T-shirts embossed with the portrait of Nana Konadu with the inscriptions 93Be Bold 96 Our Last Chance"; 93The Great Hope "The Spirit of the Nation"; 93JJ The Founder of NDC" and 93Right Change".

Security personnel had difficulty controlling the large crowd who thronged the party Headquarters to show their solidarity with the former First Lady.

There were three barricades mounted by party officials and police to control the journalists who flocked the NDC headquarters to cover the event.

Journalists struggled with these officials at the main gate to the compound and the entrances to the reception, the staircase and main room for the event.

A visibly delighted Mrs Rawlings, the first to pick nomination forms, commended the media for their contributions to deepening democracy.

She was also thankful to the party for the opportunity to contest the flag bearer slot.

In an interview, Mr Kofi Adams, Spokesperson for the Rawlingses, told the Ghana News Agency: 93Now the stage is set for serious campaigning to begin. Nana Konadu will show the forms to the Founder of the party and the Council of Elders as a sign of respect. "We will then hit the ground running as the congress is just a few months away."

Nominations would be from Tuesday May 3-10.

Submission of completed nomination forms is slated for June 1, vetting of potential candidates would be from June 7-8, and release of delegates' lists would be on June 10.

The NDC National Executive Committee has approved a non-refundable fee of GH¢20,000 to be paid by male flag bearer aspirants. In line with the party's social democratic and gender sensitive credentials, it has offered a 50 per cent rebate to all female aspirants.

Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, NDC General Secretary, said the party hoped this would encourage more women to participate in the democratic process and assume a more responsible role in the party and the country at large.

According to the Mr Asiedu Nketiah each contestant shall be proposed by two persons and seconded by four persons who must be members of the executive at the branch, constituency, regional or national levels.

"A duly proposed contestant shall be endorsed by two members of the executive at any level of the party from each of the 230 Constituencies of the country," he said.

On the qualification of flag bearer aspirants, the NDC General Secretary explained that the aspirant must fulfil qualification criteria as stated in Article 62 of the 1992 Constitution which deal with the qualifications to be president of Ghana.

In addition, the aspirant must be a member of a branch of the party, a known and active member of the party for not less than four years, shall not be a member of any other political party, and must accept the constitution, philosophy and policies of the NDC. Others are that the aspirant must be an active and card bearing member of the party with fully paid up membership dues; must not be facing any disciplinary action for breach of the party's Disciplinary Code and Constitution; and must not be a member of the executive committee at any level of the party at the time of picking of the nomination form.

Mr Asiedu Nketiah noted that according to Article 44(a) of the Party's Constitution, the NDC was required to elect its flag bearer at least 12 months when in government and at least 24 months when outside government before any presidential election the party intends to participate in.

"According to the 1992 Constitution, the next presidential election is slated for the first week of December 2012. Since the NDC is in government now, the party therefore has up to the first week in December 2011 to elect its flag bearer. "It is against this background that we are going to begin the process towards election of our flag bearer early enough to abide by our own party constitution," the NDC General Secretary said. Mr Asiedu Nketiah assured the party that the Council of Elders and National Executive Committee had endorsed the guidelines, regulations and timetable to ensure the provision of an even playing field for all candidates.