IN AN attempt to avert the recurrence of further cracks after those that rocked the rank and file of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), following the 2002 presidential elections and its December 2005 Koforidua congress, the party has streamlined moves to prevent any eventuality that might disintegrate the party in its avowed bid to unseat the ruling government.

The Chronicle learnt that any party executive or guru who openly declares support for any aspiring presidential candidate would be sanctioned according to the new arrangements, in accordance with the party?s constitution.

According to Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, the party?s general secretary, it has become essential and paramount for the party to take that decision to enable every member of the party who aspires to the flagbearership do so without fear.

He said in their last election, the race was torn between the founder of the party, Mr. J.J Rawlings, and the then chairman, Dr. Obed Yao Asamoah, adding that that situation had created more division within the party.

?We want to ensure that everybody has been given a free and fair chance to contest. We don?t want a situation where people would fear because they have no ?godfathers? as happened in our last election. After the elections, the division became bitter, accounting for the major problems of the party. This time, we want to create an open door to every potential candidate,? he emphasized.

The General Secretary made this disclosure in clarification to an NDC document, which introduced guidelines to the party members in the upcoming elections scheduled for sometime in August this year.

In the document, the aspirants are cautioned to desist from a campaign of vilification and mudslinging, saying, ?The disciplinary Committee shall invoke the appropriate provisions of the party?s constitution in cases of breach of the code of conduct.?

According the NDC, the Committee shall handle all complaints brought before it expeditiously by inviting the contestant, his supporters or agents whose conduct or utterance has been complained about, stating further, ?The disciplinary committee shall, upon the determination of the complaints, apply appropriate disciplinary sanctions against any person found liable.?

Taking further steps toward solidarity, the NDC further cautioned its members to refrain from making public statements or pronouncements in support of or against any candidate that might jeopardize the party?s aim to ensure that they become more united after the congress, but instead rally behind anyone who emerged as its flagbearer.

?No organ, institution, branch or structure of the party should issue any public or press statements in support of any of the contestants. For avoidance of doubt, no party executives or any other persons at whatever level of the party should issue any public statements or make any public pronouncements, which have the effect of committing the support of the whole of that organ, institution, branch or structures of the party to any of the contestants.?

In the NDC document, titled ?Election of NDC Presidential Candidates regulations?, premised its argument that, ?The purpose of these regulations is to guide the nomination and election of the NDC presidential candidates for the 2008 presidential elections.

?The essence of the regulation is to endeavour to provide an even playing field and to ensure a free, fair and transparent election of the presidential candidates.?

The document catalogued the legibility of the party members to vie for the topmost position of the party.

It would be recalled that during the 2002 presidential elections, Obed Yao Asamoah, then the national chairman, supported Dr. Kwesi Botchwey, former Minister of Finance, while the founder, Mr. Rawlings, supported Prof. John Evans Atta Mills.

This entrenched position of the two prominent figures of the party provided a platform for division, bitterness and acrimony within the party.

After the elections, the bickering gained momentum, resulting in actions and inactions of some party executives who were opposed to the candidature of Prof. Mills to work to undermine him.

Such division caused the party great losses and it also replayed itself in the December 2005 congress in Koforidua, barely two weeks after which the acrimony of the elections saw party gurus, including the former national chairman, deserting the party.

Bearing this in mind, the new executives have prepared to prevent the recurrence of such a situation, hence the arrangement.