Juaso (Ash), Dec.8, GNA - Mrs Gifty Ohene-Konadu, New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member
of Parliament (MP) for Asante Akim South Constituency, has been accused of camping some
polling station executives, to vote for candidates of her choice in the party's constituency
election. The MP was said to have induced the polling station executives with a promise to insure
them under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) with her share of the Common Fund,
should they vote for her candidates. The allegations were made by the constituency executives of the party led by the chairman,
Mr. Isaac Opare, at a press conference at Juaso on Monday. Mr. Opare who was flanked by other executive told newsmen that the MP on December 6,
conveyed some polling station executives from Kurofa and Dwendwenase to her residence,
where she asked them to vote for one Abdul Karim Boakye-Yiadom as chairman in the
forthcoming constituency election. He said when the executives got wind of the said meeting and they went to the MP's
residence to confirm, but they could not have access to the house as the main gate was locked. He said the MP's action was in contravention with the party's constitution, saying, it was only
the chairman who had the mandate to convene meetings. Mr. Opare appealed to the regional and national executives of the party to call the MP to
order, since her behaviour was inimical to efforts to re-organise the party at the grassroot in
preparation towards election 2012. He cautioned party members to desist from engaging in activities that violated the party's
constitution, adding that, culprits would be punished in accordance with party disciplinary
measures. Mrs. Ohene-Konadu when contacted admitted inviting the polling station executives to her
house, but was quick to add that, she did not violate the party's constitution, since she had every
right to meet with party members as an MP. She also accused the executives of moving from one polling station to another to canvass for
votes for their favourite candidate to assume the chairmanship of the constituency, with the
ultimate aim of contesting her for the parliamentary seat in 2012. She said the allegations levelled against her were baseless, and that they were only pursuing
their parochial interests as they were afraid of losing the election. 8 Dec. 09
NPOL 008 Politics Coordinators NPP NPP Area Coordinators urged to be innovative
WA, Dec. 8, GNA - Mr Ibrahim Tamaa, Upper West Regional Secretary of the New
Patriotic Party has urged the newly elected Area Coordinators of the Party to be innovative, by
initiating grass root structures that would strengthen the Party on the ground in preparation for
the next elections. He suggested the formation of disciplinary, fund raising and campaign committees in their
electoral areas, identify all active party supporters and assign roles to them as a way of
promoting inclusiveness, to make all such people feel needed by the Party. Mr Tamaa said this at the swearing in of the 18 electoral area coordinators and the newly
elected Wa Central Constituency Executive of the Party at Wa on Monday. He however advised the Area Coordinators against the formation a parallel executive to rival
the constituency executive as such a development would never augur well for the smooth
running of the party. Mr Ali Kamara, the new Constituency Chairman noted that indiscipline and greed contributed
immensely to the Party's loss of power in last year's elections and pledged that he and his
executives were determined to eschew those evils during their tenure. He said they would aggressively assess why the Party has since 1992 failed to win the Wa
Central Constituency seat and come out with strategies to win the seat in 2012 elections. Infighting within the party in the constituency should be a thing of the past, he said, and
appealed to all party supporters to bury their differences and come together to fight for victory
in 2012. "I am prepared to sell my belongings to assist any party member who is prepared to work
for the party for us to recapture power", he promised. Mr Kamara hinted that he was not interested in parliamentary primaries saying they often led
to acrimony and divisions in the party and as a result they would want to use consensus building
in choosing the next parliamentary candidate for the constituency. 08 Dec. 09