PNC presidential aspirant files nomination papers

Professor Yakubu Saaka, onetime deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in the administration of the late Dr Hilla Limann, has submitted nomination documents of the People's National Convention (PNC) to affirm his commitment to contest the Party's presidential slot for Election 2008. Prof. Saaka, and Dr Edward Mahama, the PNC presidential candidate in 1996, 2000 and 2004, are the only known members who had picked nominations forms to contest the positions. Prof Saaka paid GH¢5,000 (50 million) nomination fee and reiterated a call for a healthy competition among all the aspirants. The PNC becomes the fourth political party to open nominations after the main opposition National Democratic Congress elected its flag bearer in December last year. The ruling New Patriotic Party opened nominations on September 22 and the Convention People's Party also opened nominations on October 8. Mr Gabriel Pwamang and Alhaji Ahmed Ramadan, PNC General Secretary and Acting National Chairman respectively, jointly received the nomination documents and commended the aspirants for completing the process in a record time. Mr Pwamang assured the aspirants that the national leadership, members of the Central Committee, regional and constituency executives and staff at the party's secretariat would remain neutral in all aspects of the campaign from filing to elections. PNC's eligibility criteria made available to the Ghana News Agency requires the aspirants to have at least one year of card bearing membership, meet the prescribed qualification as ascribed in the 1992 Constitution and the party's constitution, good conduct, background of police criminal report and good standing within the party. It directed all aspirants and their campaign teams not to obstruct, disrupt or cause to break up meetings and campaign activities of other aspirants or promote any act of indiscipline. The rules say an aspirant and the campaign team must not destroy, remove, deface or tamper with the paraphernalia and campaign materials of other aspirants and they must avoid the use of inflammatory, abusive or provocative language or incitements to denigrate the integrity of other aspirants. According to the code of conduct, the party would provide equal opportunity to all aspirants to interact with all organs and structures of the party during the campaign period.