No one will impose candidates on you - Joe Wise calls for calm

The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament and MP for Bekwai constituency Mr. Joseph Osei-Owusu has ruled out the possibility of any form of decision, by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to impose candidates on delegates.

He said the constitution of the party gives the National Executive Committee (NEC) the power to ensure the party gets a representative for any form of a national election.

He told Kwabena Agyapong on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm that t5he planned parliamentary primaries would be held when the ban on social gatherings is lifted.

The decision to retain a sitting candidate or an election organised to elect a candidate is something NEC is empowered to do.

Tension seems to be brewing in the ruling party after reports emerged that due to COVID-19 the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party may handpick parliamentary candidates for the 2020 elections.

This was reportedly hinted by the General Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), John Boadu.

But a senior member of the NPP Dr. Amoako Tuffour has cautioned the party against plans to retain sitting MPs as candidates for the 2020 parliamentary election due to the coronavirus outbreak.

To him, the party is bound to face political crisis this election year should NEC handpick candidates for the 2020 polls.

The delegates he said should be allowed to elect candidates of their choice.

But the legislator has revealed hee has received intel from the general secretary of the party that the parliamentary primaries would surely be organised when the ban on social gatherings is lifted.

”The party has finished with the vetting, the report is ready, but NEC has not been able to meet to design the notice of poll due to the ban on social gatherings. The moment the ban is lifted, the party will release the notice of poll and organise the primaries,” he said.

Mr. Osei-Owusu says the decision to select candidates lies in the hands of NEC and they have the power to do so.