Ashanti PPP Constituency Elections To Be Completed In September

The Ashanti Regional Office of the Progressive People�s Party (PPP) will complete its constituency elections by the middle of September 2014. So far, 10 constituencies out of the 47 in the region are ready to hold their constituency elections with the remaining 37 still going through intensive screening of candidates. The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the PPP, Dr Theophilus Ben Kwofie, who disclosed this to the Daily Graphic in Kumasi said the regional elections were scheduled to be held in October 2014. He said the party was resorting to intensive screening of constituency executives who would be working directly with the polling station executives to improve the quality of party activities. He explained that because the party was new to the Ghanaian electorate, many people joined the party, without much commitment; a phenomenon he said gave roots to PPP�s political opponents to infiltrate the ranks of the party. �It is shocking and disbelieving for the PPP to have zero votes at polling stations where at least the party should have 21 votes bearing in mind that members of a 21-polling station executive representing the party would cast their votes. We will not be fooled twice, hence the need to do proper screening before conducting internal elections,� Dr Kwofie stated. The various positions at the constituency are Chairman, Vice Chairman (two), Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Treasurer, Organiser, Assistant Organiser, Women�s Organiser, Assistant Women�s Organiser, Youth Organiser, Assistant Youth Organiser and Communication Officer. The nomination form would be picked at GH�10.00 while the filing fee is pegged at GH�30.00. However, GH�50.00 will be the filing fee for the chairmanship position. Advice to party members Dr Kwofie said the PPP was working hard to become attractive and acceptable to a the of youth and therefore advised party members to work hard to attract more of them to the party. He said due to the abysmal performance of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, especially on the economy and the internal wranglings within the New Patriotic Party (NPP), most Ghanaians had become disillusioned and that it had become pertinent to brand the PPP and its 2012 Presidential candidate, Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom, as the alternative that could redeem this country. He further said PPP stood tall among political parties in the country, and asked the party members to remain resolute, and vigorously proclaim the vision of the party to all Ghanaians. The Ashanti Regional Chairman said the party�s 10-point development agenda was the panacea for the rapid development of the country. Part of the 10-point agenda is the call by the PPP for election as opposed to nomination and appointment of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) which the PPP believes will deepen democracy at the grass roots level. Another key point on the agenda is the call to separate the Ministry of Justice from the office of the Attorney General to amply deal with corruption. Dr Kwofie, however, said though the Ghanaian economy was in crisis, if President Mahama would consider the 10 points suggested by the PPP his government would perform better. Dr Kwofie urged all PPP members to keep preaching the party�s vision of creating more jobs, improving the quality of education, among others and vote for PPP in 2016.