NDC Vets Parliamentary Aspirants In Eastern Region

Vetting of National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary aspirants to contest seats in the Eastern Region opened in Koforidua on Wednesday. Those being vetted include five who had filed to contest for the Afram Plains North constituency, four for Lower Manya, four for Yilo and one for New Juaben South constituencies. In the Upper Manya and Afram Plains South constituencies where there are sitting MPs, it was only the two who filed their papers to contest the primaries at the close of nominations. Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, National Organizer of the party said it was the party’s position never to impose candidates on any constituency but to create a level playing field for all who wanted to contest. He said it was members of the Party in the constituency who would market a candidate of the Party and they would whole heartedly do that if the choice was a true reflection of the majority view. Mr Ampofo said evidence on the ground showed that the NDC was going to win the 2008 Presidential Elections hands down, but then, the President would need to have the support of over 50 per cent of the Members of Parliament to be able to implement his good programmes. He said NDC needed to win the elections to bring smiles to the faces of Ghanaians because the country was currently being ruled by a government that had demonstrated that it did not care about the basic needs of the people. Mr Ampofo said while the people were in need of some basic things like water and electricity, the government preferred to use the nation’s resources to build posh Presidential Palace and buy jets for the comfort of the ruling class. Mr Kofi Attoh, an Executive Member of the Party, in-charge of International Relations, called on all those who have filed their nominations to contest on the ticket of the Party to respect the promises that they would make before the primaries. He said no mater the number of people who had filed their nominations to contest any constituency seat, it is only one person who would emerge winner and he would need the support of all to win the seat. Mr Attoh said the Party would not tolerate people who after losing the primaries would go back on their word and declare their intention to contest the elections as independent candidates.