Politics of Thursday, 4 February 2010

Source: joyonline

NPP has no functioning executive -Ephson

Pollster Ben Ephson has indicted the national executives of the New Patriotic Party for doing very little to resolve the inherent factionalism within the party.

He said the NPP has no “functioning executive” partly because most of the executives have been “compromised.”

He was reacting to comments by the former General Secretary of the party and Information Minister, Dan Botwe who is calling for freeze in all forms of campaigning by Nana Akufo-Addo and Alan Kyeremanten, both flag bearer aspirants in the 2008 national delegates conference of the NPP.

The two have not hidden their intentions to run for the same position when nominations open later in the year, but their activities are making all the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Ben Ephson told Joy News’ Dzifa Bampoe the acrimony at the grass root level regarding the differences between the two stalwarts is worse and dangerous than in 2008.

He said the party’s council of elders must as a matter of urgency step in to resolve the needless controversy.

Asked whether the party will be better off with a compromise candidate, Mr Ephson opined, that will only happen if the two - Nana Addo and Alan Kyerematen decide not to contest.

He said the two have big following in the party and makes them favourites to win the party’s presidential flagbearer slot ahead of any other candidate.

Ben Ephson intimated the two personalities must recognise the devastating effect their differences is having on the party and must begin to build bridges.

They owe it to the party and country at large, he said.