Politics of Wednesday, 18 August 2004

Source: GNA

Patron expresses concern about NPP primaries

Pokukrom (Ash), Aug 18, GNA - Nana Opoku Boakye-Yiadom, Ahafo-Ano South Constituency Patron of the NPP, has expressed concern about certain developments in the party's primaries, particularly in the Ashanti Region.

He said it was unfortunate that NPP, which was founded on democracy, was not practicing the principle within the party. Speaking to the Ghana News Agency at Pokukrom on Monday, Nana Boakye-Yiadom, who is also the Chairman of the Pokukrom Area Council, said it was regrettable that some delegates who voted at the party's primaries allowed monetary considerations and other gifts to influence them.

He said for instance that at Adugyama in the Ashanti Region, top party and government functionaries openly campaigned for a contestant, which according to him was "most unfortunate".

Nana Yiadom-Boakye said there were many complaints from other constituencies and urged delegates in the constituencies yet to hold their primaries to avoid vote buying.

He asked the polling station chairmen not to allow themselves to be influenced by monetary and other gifts but to vote according to their conscience.

He called on functionaries of the party to allow democracy to function within it and said what was happening now did not augur well for the party.