Wrangles In NPP Camp Over Imposition of Sitting MP

The purported declaration of Mrs. Gifty Kusi, the sitting member of parliament (MP) for the Tarkwa Nsuaem constituency in the Western Region as the unopposed NPP candidate for the 2004 parliamentary elections is causing a furor among party followers.

Mrs. Kusi was acclaimed as the party's candidate for the December elections by 104 out of the 112 polling station chairmen in the constituency at the Western University College in Tarkwa recently but some have described it as an imposition which contravenes the provisions of the party's constitution.

They say nominations must be opened for all interested parties to contest the position in line with the NPP's avowed democratic structures.

As a result, a section of the constituents have sworn to resist the imposition. They insist that if Mrs. Kusi goes ahead to contest as the party's candidate without going through the right procedure, they would vote against the party in the elections.

The situation not withstanding, the constituency chairman, Mr. Benjamin Kwaku Assabil claims Mrs. Kusi would win the seat by a 100% votes.

The rumpus has split the party with one Samuel Otchere who was hoping to challenge Mrs. Kusi declaring he would contest as an independent candidate.

Issues over who stands as parliamentarians on the ticket of incumbent governments have been a thorny issue in many administrations. The imposition of candidates, according to some analysts contributed greatly to the NPP's loss of its majority in the 2000 general elections.