Two members file writ against NPP

Kumasi (Ashanti Region) Two members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have filed a writ at a Kumasi High Court seeking a perpetual injunction to restrain the party from imposing Dr Richard W. Anane or any other person as the parliamentary candidate for the Bantama constituency for the December elections.

Mr. Owusu Kyenkyenhene and Mr. Afrani Kankam filed the writ against the Bantama Constituency office, Ashanti Regional Secretariat and National Headquarters of the party.

The plaintiffs are seeking an order to compel the defendants to conduct primaries to elect the parliamentary candidate for the constituency.

They are also seeking a declaration that the deliberate failure and or the refusal of the defendants to conduct the primaries was wrongful, unconstitutional and injurious to the interests of the constituency in particular, the party in general and amounted to dereliction of duty by the defendants.

The plaintiffs contend that they are loyal and staunch members of the NPP and that article six (19), of the party's constitution makes it mandatory for every constituency to convene extra-ordinary constituency delegates' conference to select the parliamentary candidate for the constituency.

The plaintiffs said article 11 of the constitution dictates the procedure for the selection of a parliamentary candidate and that in breach of the constitution, the Bantama constituency office of the party sought to impose a candidate on the electorate.

They claimed that they protested to the constituency office of the party and sent copies of the protest note to the Ashanti Regional Secretariat and the National Headquarters of the party but no positive step has been taken to rectify the situation.

The plaintiffs said they also caused "their solicitors to write to the constituency to desist from imposing a candidate on them but they ignored the letter and continued with their machinations".

They said that copies of the letter were also sent to the regional and national offices of the party, which they also ignored.

They said recently, the constituency executive was purported to have confirmed the candidature of Dr Anane without due respect for the constitution of the party.

To protect the constitution of the party from being fragrantly violated, the plaintiffs said, they again caused their solicitors to write to the national executive council of the party. Copies were sent to the constituency and regional offices with the hope that the council would call the constituency to order but it was to no avail.

They claimed that in the said letter dated August 22, 2000, it requested that a date should be fixed for the Bantama constituency primaries but this was ignored.