NPP Executives Defy Court Injunction In Constituency Ballot

Executives of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Central Region have assembled for a congress to elect regional officers. This is despite an order from the national headquarters of the party for the congress to be suspended because of a court injunction. The defendants are the NPP chairman Mr Peter Mac Manu, General Secretary Nana Ohene Ntow and other members including Darkwa Smith, and the Electoral Commission. Even though some of the regional executives have reportedly been notified of the injunction, they insisted on going ahead with the congress because they are yet to be served. Speaking on Joy FM�s Morning Show, Regional Secretary Kwamena Duncan said both the directive and the injunction would not be respected. According to him, the national headquarters has no power to stop the congress. �At the constituency level, it is the constituency chairman who is convener of conferences just as at the national level, the national chairman is the convener of conferences,� he said wondering �where the general secretary derives his authority from in the party�s constitution.� �Why is it that the convener himself has not been notified of this court order? I cannot see the motivation of the general secretary, I can�t,� Mr Duncan insisted. Meanwhile the General Secretary of the NPP, Nana Ohene-Ntow, has described the stance of the regional executives as unfortunate. He said he has long held that it would be inappropriate to discuss such issues on-air but stressed that he derived his authority from the constitution of the party which gives him authority over all constituency and regional elections of the party.