<<Print>>Reverend Tetteh Caternor, member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in La Dadekotopon Constituency, has predicted the defeat of many incumbent members of parliament in the party’s primaries to be held in November.
He said with the expanded Electoral College, where all registered members are to vote for aspirants, there is going to be fairness in the primaries because it would be extremely difficult for one to influence all the delegates.
“Now we are going to have more than 1000 delegates in my constituency and how could influence all of them?”
He told Ghana News Agency in an interview in Accra that it is impossible for candidates to bribe all the delegates.
Rev Catenor who is also seeking to contest the La Dadekotopon NDC parliamentary primary, made the prediction after he organised a cards game for the youth as part of a number of activities, he has lined up to mark this year’s Homowo festival.
He said delegates have become wiser and would vote according to their convictions and not because of inducement.
“Many of incumbents would lose because they have lost touch with their constituents,” he stressed.
He said those who thought that they could neglect their constituents only to appear during elections to solicit for their votes because of their financial clout should reconsider their positions and mind set because the delegates have grown wiser.
“What will happen in our November primaries will be worse than what happened in the New Patriotic Party’s parliamentary primaries a few months ago. Most of the incumbents have failed to remain in touch with their constituents and failed to lobby for development projects in their areas.
"Now that the elections are drawing near, some of them have come back to live in the constituencies, all in a bid to get votes. I don't think it will work," he said.
Rev Caternor who contested Nii Amasa Namoale, the incumbent Member of Parliament for La Dadekotopon in the last primary and lost to him by a 100 votes, is optimistic that when cleared by the party to go into the contest, he would be favoured by the delegates who understand what his vision is for La and what he as an individual stands for.