The leadership of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has suspended opening of nominations for prospective Parliamentary Candidates in the 2016 election.
The suspension, Citi News understands is to allow the National Council deliberate on some issues emanating from the party’s directives.
[contextly_sidebar id=”9hq0vxFmx4R3HbcucQmkozNntvYNpGkr”]The party’s directive preventing men from contesting as aspirants in constituencies with women MPs angered some party faithfuls.
Some of these party members staged a demonstration to register their displeasure about the new directives.
A member of the National Council, Dr. Kwame Amoako Tuffour who confirmed the party’s decision to Citi News said the party decided to review the new directives because of the controversy it sparked.
“The National Executive Committee had a meeting and what they deliberated upon sparked controversy outside, some for,some against. It appeared most people were against the decision so it becomes important that you call the higher body to sit on it and give its final word.”
According to him,the Council will discuss the merits and demerits of the new directives and will vote on each of them.
He said NEC will review the directives if the polls indicate that most of the party members believe they are not favourable.
NPP lacks effective leadership
Communications Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah says the uproar that greeted the NPP’s directives on the party’s parliamentary primaries shows it lacks effective leadership.
This according to him is because the leadership of the NPP failed on several occasions to call to order, senior members of the party had been making unhealthy statements therefore worsening the culture of rebellion within their fold.
Speaking at a meeting of the Legon Branch of the Tertiary education institutions Network (TEIN), the Communications Minister insisted the largest opposition party does not have what it takes to take the right decisions hence his position.
For his part, Deputy Education Minister Samuel Okudjeto Ablakwa described as unprincipled and discriminatory the NPP’s affirmative action directives.
“Look at how the NPP under Nana Akufo Addo has been in total disarray because of an ill-thought, poorly conceived,Ebola decision. We have a situation where now you have been seen for who you are and then you engage in this unprincipled tokenism…”
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By: Marian Efe Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana