NPP holds elections in 2,365 polling centres today, June 20

After the uncertainty of when to select representative due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its anti-measures, all is set for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to hold primaries in 101 constituencies.

About 310 aspirants will contest in the 101 constituencies, while 65 candidates will go unopposed.

Information gathered by the Ghana News Agency indicates that the affirmation of unopposed candidates as parliamentary candidates ahead of the December 7, general elections will be done today Friday, June 19.

Political analyst have identified about 26 hotspots across 10 regions which could be attributed to the aspirants’ status in politics, their influence in the constituencies and ability to mobilise, among other factors.

Overall, 73 candidates are contesting in those hotspots, including Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Eastern, Central and Greater Accra regions.

Mr Peter Mac Manu, the 2020 Election Campaign Manager of the ruling NPP, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that all was set for the elections tomorrow and that adequate preparations had been made to ensure the safety of delegates.

He said bearing in mind the COVID-19 pandemic precautionary protocols by the state, the constituencies have been decentralized to ensure that not more than 100 delegates congregate to vote.

Dr Serebour Quarcoo, the Director of Elections at the Electoral Commission (EC) said the EC would supervise the elections, adding that all electoral materials had been dispatched to the centres nationwide.

With the exception of Oti, Volta and Savannah Regions, elections would be held in 2365 polling centres in 101 constituencies.

The elections, he said would commence at 0700hours and end 1300hours and urged delegates to visit the centres early to cast their vote.

He said the lists of all polling and flashpoints have been given to the security services to ensure peaceful elections.

Mr John Boadu, the General Secretary of the NPP said the Security Service would ensure that individuals involved in any misconduct were made to face the full rigours of the law.

He explained that it was an offence to vote or attempt to vote more than once at the primaries, buy or sell a vote, compel somebody to vote in a particular way, obstruct a delegate from freely exercising his or her right to vote, display a voter’s marked ballot paper in such a way as to make it known to others the candidate he or she voted for, and take a photo of how one voted in any particular way.

Mr Boadu encouraged all aspiring parliamentary candidates to adhere to the guidelines and modalities, saying, anyone who conducts him/herself in a manner that brings the Party’s name into disrepute shall be deemed to have breached Article 4(7) of the NPP constitution and will, accordingly, be sanctioned including being disqualified from contesting in the primaries.