Politics of Saturday, 20 October 2007

Source: GNA

Oforikrom polling station chairmen call for elections

Kumasi, Oct. 20, GNA - Polling station chairmen of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Oforikrom area have appealed to President John Agyekum Kufuor to intervene and ensure that fresh elections are conducted to elect executives for the constituency.

They held that the intervention of the President was necessary due to the failure of national and regional executives, as well as council of elders to act on their call for fresh elections.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Kumasi, a spokesman of the polling station chairmen, Mr Ampofo Twumasi, from the Ayeduase Polling Station, said lack of effective leadership was seriously hampering the work of the Party in the constituency.

He said since 2000 when the last constituency elections were held, there had not been any fresh elections.

Mr Twumasi alleged that currently there were no accurate data on actual paid up members and that Party ID cards had been locked up in the constituency office, which had remained closed for the past two years. He said power struggle and factionalism had characterised the Party with some members perceiving others as "enemies" and that this was creating serious divisions among them.

Mr Twumasi stated that lack of recognized executive members was making it difficult for Party members to seek directions as to organizational strategies for canvassing support towards elections next year.

He reiterated that the youth were getting disillusioned and urged the President and the National Executive Committee to act quickly to ensure that fresh elections were conducted to choose leaders before the party's next delegates congress schedule for December this year. 20 Oct. 07