NPP Congress Slated For November

The New Patriotic Party(NPP)has scheduled November 19, 2005 for its national delegates congress to elect national officers and to deliberate on issues concerning the party.

In line with this,the national executive of the party has directed all polling stations,constituencies and regional executives to hold their respective congresses before the national delegates congress.

In an interview,the National Organiser of the NPP,Mr Lord Commey,said as of now,most polling stations had elected their executives and it was expected that constituency executives would also have their turn this month.

According to him,the election of regional executives would be completed before October 15,2005 to pave way for the national delegates congress.

He explained that positions to be vied for at the polling stations were,chairman,secretary,organiser and women organiser,while in the constituencies,vacancies existed for chairman,first vice-chairman,second vice-chairman, secretary,assistant secretary,treasurer,organiser,youth organiser and women organiser.

In the regions,interested regional officers will compete for the position of chairman, first vice-chairman,second vice-chairman,secretary,assistant secretary,treasurer, organiser, youth organiser and women organiser.

The national organiser said that the national delegates congress would concentrate mainly on the election of national officers.

He said issues such as the amendment of the party?s constitution on the composition of the electoral college for the election of presidential candidates,national executives,parliamentary candidates,polling station executives constituency executives and electoral procedures might not feature.

He said the amendment could be done anytime after the national delegates congress,adding that the tenure of office of the national executive was about to expire and that there was the need for people with a new mandate to steer the affairs of the party in conformity with the constitution of the party.

Reacting to claims by the National Democratic Congress (NDC)that its two victories in the recent by-elections were indications that Ghanaians were fed up with the administration of the NPP government and that the NDC stood a better chance of winning the 2008 general election,Mr Commey said ?the NPP is solid on the ground with all its structures intact,while the government still enjoys great deal of goodwill and support from the people of Ghana.?

He said the NDC?s victory in the by-elections at Odododiodoo and Asawase,which were already NDC seats did not provide any scientific basis for believing that Ghanaians would want to go back to the dark days of NDC rule.

He indicated that it was a fact that the NPP was going through challenging times,?but these are normal with growing institutions.Certainly the NPP in 2000 is not the same in 2005,and it was important to brace ourselves to face the challenging times?.

Mr Commey explained that the NPP administration was in power and that had raised high the hopes of the party faithful which must be met,and assured them that these were the very things that the Kufuor administration was doing.

He said in meeting their anticipation,the government had to sometimes take harsh decisions that might not be palatable presently but would in the long run be in the best interest of the entire nation.

He urged the members of the party and Ghanaians in general not to be perturbed, but continue to have faith in the government and support it to deliver.

He stated that the party had been humble enough to admit that in taking measures to put the economy on a sound footing, some omissions or commissions on the part of the government might have affected some people negatively.

Mr Commey took a swipe at the party executive,including himself for not educating the people enough to appreciate why certain decisions had been taken and the benefits to be derived as well as international economic trends which have direct bearing on domestic issues.