Frederick Opare Ansah
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has increased the number of delegates eligible to vote in the elections for National Youth Organiser and National Women’s Organiser at its national executive elections scheduled for October 3.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines following a National Executive Council meeting yesterday in Accra, the Chairman of the NPP National Officers Elections Committee, Frederick Opare Ansah, said under the new arrangement, all delegates below the age of 40 will be eligible to vote for the National Youth Organiser, while every female delegate will vote in the election of the National Women’s Organiser.
According to him, the changes, which were approved by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) and National Council, are expected to significantly increase the number of delegates required to vote during the elections.
He said, “Previously, voting in the youth organiser election was limited to youth organisers and their deputies, TESCON representatives and Members of Parliament below the age of 40. The new arrangement, however, allows all delegates under 40 to participate, pushing the number of eligible voters for the National Youth Organiser election to more than 2,000.”
Mr. Opare Ansah said the electorate for the National Women’s Organiser election has also been expanded from women organisers and their deputies to include every female delegate, adding that the expanded voting base makes it unnecessary for the party to organise separate special conferences for the two positions.
He also explained that the National Elections Committee was established by the NEC and National Council to oversee, plan and administer the processes leading to the party’s conference in Kumasi, but said the committee has completed the nominations, voting and balloting processes, with all aspirants who have been cleared assigned positions on the ballot paper.
Mr. Opare Ansah stated that the committee therefore had to brief the National Executive Council that constituted the committee on the progress of its work so far, as well as seek approval for the remaining processes ahead of the elections.
He disclosed that the decision to broaden the delegate base for the youth and women’s organiser elections was among the key arrangements approved by the party’s leadership at the meeting.
He said the National Executive Committee and National Council of the party also approved proxy voting for its National Officers’ Elections despite earlier rules that prevented delegates from using proxy votes during some recently held internal elections of the party.
The chairman indicated that the latest arrangements were carefully presented to the National Executive Council and approved to ensure the elections proceed smoothly, especially as it provided an opportunity to enable eligible members of the diaspora to participate in the election without any difficulty. He added that the National Communications Director position which was filed by Dennis Miracles Aboagye will not require any contest since he was the only candidate to contest for the position.
“With the arrangements accepted by NEC and the Council, including proxy voting, we can now proceed towards the elections without any hitch. In accordance with Ghana’s electoral practice, a candidate who is the sole valid contestant is declared elected unopposed on the appointed date and subsequently sworn into office,” he stated.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah