The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) is asking its members through regional executives to submit proposals of constitutional amendments to the party ahead of its National Delegates Conference at Cape Coast in August 2017.

Acting General Secretary John Boadu at a press conference on Monday June 5, 2017, directed all constituency and regional executive committees to organise their respective annual delegates’ conference not later than July 26 2017.

“The party has directed that all regional executives are to furnish the national secretariat with detailed activities not later than 30th of June 2017. The regional conference shall pass any resolution or make any amendment for consideration by national annual delegates conference “, he disclosed.

According to him, the National Delegates Conference is constitutional requirements of the party’s constitution to make some amendments in the party’s constitution and strategize ahead of the future.

Read full text of address below:

PRESS STATEMENT OF THE NPP ON THE ROADMAP TO THE PARTY’S 2017 NATIONAL ANNUAL DELEGATES CONFERENCE AND RELATED MATTERS ADDRESSED BY THE GENERAL SECRETARY (AG), JOHN BOADU.

Good morning ladies and Gentlemen

As you all know, the country is still mourning the death of Captain Maxwell Adam Mahama and as such, we wish to once again, express our condolences to the bereaved family.

I would also like to take this opportunity to announce that, government will today take a decision and announce the plans that the State has for the late Captain and his family, having taken a serious view of all that has happened regarding this unfortunate incident.

We mourn with the family and we will never, I repeat NEVER, play politics with the death of such an innocent soul. We hope that the other political parties also refrain from playing politics with the painful death of a fellow citizen.

Introduction

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press, the essence of this Press Conference is to spell out modalities leading to the party’s 2017 National Annual Delegates’ Conference, slated for Cape Coast in the Central Region from 25th to 27th of August, 2017.

National Annual Delegates Conference

It would be recalled that the party’s second highest decision making body, the National Council, at its last meeting, which was held on May 10, at the Alisa Hotel among other Resolutions. However, the constitution of the party provides that, Constituency and Regional Annual Delegates Conferences shall precede the National Conference.

Regional Annual Delegates Conference Article 7(13) states that, “in every year, at least four (4) weeks prior to the National Annual Delegates Conference, there shall be a Regional Delegates Conference…”.

Pursuant to this provision, the party, in a memo dated June 1, 2017, directed all Regional Executive Committees to organize their respective Regional Annual Delegates Conferences not later than July 26, 2017.

The party has directed all Regional Executive Committees to furnish the National Secretariat with details (timelines of activities) of their respective Annual Conferences not later than 30th of June, 2017.

We wish to state that per the provision in Article 7(13) of our constitution, the Regional Annual Delegates Conference shall be attended by all Regional Executives (Elected and Appointed), all Constituency Chairpersons in the region, Members of Parliament in the region as well as Regional and Deputy Regional Ministers (all of whom are ex-officio members). Also, in attendance at the regional conference is a national representative delegated by the headquarters.

The regional conference shall:

? deliberate on all matters affecting the organization of the party in the region

? consider and approve a statement of account presented by the regional treasurer

? pass any resolution or make any amendment for consideration by national annual delegates conference etc

Constituency Annual Delegates Conference

Article 6(14) states that, “in every year, at least four (4) weeks prior to the Regional Annual Delegates Conference, there shall be a Constituency Annual Delegates Conference…”. …”.

Pursuant to this provision, the party, in a memo dated June 1, 2017, directed all constituency executive committees to organize their Constituency Annual Delegates Conference not later than June 26, 2017.

The party again directed that the various Constituency Executive Committees to furnish the National Secretariat with details (timelines of activities) of their respective Annual Conferences through their respective Regions not later than Monday, June 12.

Per the provisions in Article 6(14) of our constitution, the constituency annual delegates conference shall be attended by all Constituency Executives (Elected and Appointed), all electoral area coordinators, all polling station executives, 5 members of the constituency council of elders, 5 constituency patrons, any founding member of the constituency who is a signatory to the registration document of the party at the electoral commission, Sitting MPs or Parliamentary Candidates as well as MMDCEs (as ex-officio members).

Also, in attendance at the constituency annual conference is a regional representative delegated by the regional executive committee.

The Constituency Annual Delegates Conference shall:

? Deliberate on all matters affecting the organization and wellbeing of the party in the constituency

? Consider and approve a statement of account presented by the constituency treasurer

? Consider and approve a programme of activity for the coming year

? Pass resolution and make recommendation to the Regional Annual Delegates Conference

General Notice

For the avoidance of doubt, the party wishes to state emphatically that, these Annual Delegates’ Conferences would NOT include the election or re-election of party executives to occupy the various positions at the Constituency, Regional and National levels because the mandate of the serving officers of the party is yet to expire.

At the appropriate time, the party would come out with a timetable for the various conferences where elections would be held.

This would of course, start from the election of polling station executives and climaxed with the election of national officers which would be held at CONGRESS.

As part of the issues to be considered at the various Constituency and Regional Annual Delegates Conferences, the party expects each Executive Committee (Constituency and Regional) to appoint persons to fill any available vacant position occasioned by the resignation of the occupants of such positions, who may have resigned to take up positions in government pursuant to the Resolution of the National Council on May 10.

It is to be noted that, all Ministers/Deputy Ministers of State as well as MMDCEs who hold party positions are supposed to resign from their party positions. The party wishes to use this opportunity to thank them for their service to the party and wish them well as they take up various positions in government.

We hope that they would still avail their services to the party when needed.

In the other positions (apart from the position of Chairperson), the onus of determining the most suitable person to fill any vacancy, is on the respective Regional or Constituency Executive Committee. Their decision under the circumstances would however have to be ratified at the respective Annual Regional or Constituency Delegates Conference to be held on June 26, 2017 and July 26, 2017 respectively.

This should be done in pursuance to the provisions in Article 6(13), 7(12) and 9(6) in respect of constituency, region and national positions.

The Report on each Annual Delegates Conference (Regional and Constituency), including details of persons appointed to fill vacant positions at each level of the party should get to the National Secretariat not later than one week after the conference has been held.

Finally, the party wishes to remind all and sundry that the deadline for the submission of proposed amendment to the NPP Constitution to the General Secretary for consideration at the impending National Annual Delegates Conference is 26th June, 2017.

Thank you.