24hr Ultimatum To DCEs To Resign

The National Executive Council (NEC) of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has at its meeting held in Accra on Wednesday, this week given a 24-hour ultimatum to all district, municipal, metropolitan chief executives including all party executives from the district up to the national level who want to contest any of the sitting MPs to resign before the close of today (Friday). According to the Chronicle sources, any of the aforementioned officers who fail to comply with the directives by the close of today 29 February would not have the chance to contest the primaries when nomination starts tomorrow. NEC, relying on the strength of Article 18 of the NPP constitution also passed 22-point guidelines to regulate the conduct of the nomination leading to the primaries. The source further told this reporter that those members who were asked to resign in November last year but could not do so can no more contest the primaries. Mr. Lord Enoch Oblittey Commey, the national organizer of the NPP confirmed the directives when he was contacted on phone yesterday and explained that candidates who would pick the form to contest the primaries would pay GH¢200 whilst the filing fee cost is GH¢1000. "The NEC has given a directive among many others, that those party officials who want to contest the sitting MPs must resign by the close of today to enable them pick forms from tomorrow and contest, but if they fail to do so, I am sorry they would not be allowed to contest." He told the Chronicle that the NEC had also decided to take Article 94 of the national constitution, which gives the requirements of legibility of individuals to contest, along side the party's own Articles to consider people who want to contest. According to Mr. Commey, NEC has also maintained that anyone who violates the directive would face outright dismissal or suspension depending upon the gravity of the offence. "The rules say that any misconduct of a party member who violates the rules and regulations would be suspended or dismissed." The new directive means that Stanley Nii Agyiri Blankson, who is reportedly rumoured to be nursing ambitions of going to parliament, would have to resign today if he is to fulfill his dream. A visit to the party's headquarters yesterday revealed that application forms had been dispatched to various regions and their constituencies. The closing day of the nominations is March 30, 2008.