NPP: No constituency coups

Accra, April 3, GNA – The Greater Regional Secretariat of the New
Patriotic Party (NPP) on Tuesday cautioned its Members of Parliament
against "Constituency coups d'états".
"Some MPs have developed the penchant for clandestinely
organising semblance of constituency conferences to pass a vote of no
confidence in the administration of the legally elected constituency
executives and impose their confidants as newly elected executives,"
Mr Sammy Crabbe, NPP Greater Accra Regional Chairman, told the Ghana
News Agency in Accra.
"This is unacceptable" he said, and warned MPs against such
actions.Mr Crabbe said the recent election of new officers for
Ablekuma South, Tema East and Okaikoi South constituencies had been
declared null and void as they were held in "flagrant disregard" for
the party's constitution.
Mr Crabbe was speaking to the GNA after going through a hectic
time to bail six constituency executives of Ablekuma South who had
been arrested for allegedly damaging party property. The six who were
detained for over five hours on Monday evening at the Korle Bu Police
Station were Mr William Kofi Akakpo, 38, Mr William Amaah, 54, Mr
Edward Attoh, 46, Nana K. Yeboah, 63, Mr Charles Attram Attoh, 42, and
Alhaji Abu Siedu, 68.
Mr Crabbe said it was only the Regional Secretariat, which had
the constitutional right to conduct elections at the constituency
level."For the three constituencies to have elected new officers
without the knowledge and approval of the Secretariat amounted to a
violation of the party's constitution".
Mr Crabbe made it clear that the old executives were still
recognised as the "legitimate officers and would remain as such and be
in control of affairs of the party until proper elections are held".
He warned that the Secretariat would not condone acts that would
subvert the NPP constitution.Mr Crabbe advised NPP MPs not to allow
personality and intra-party feuding, bickering and back-biting to tear
the party apart.
"You should also eschew politics of bitterness, vindictiveness
and acrimony to enable you to peacefully co-exist with your political
opponents to safeguard the peace and stability of our great party."
Mr Crabbe asked members of the party to accept the challenge of
ensuring that all structures of the Party functioned properly "if the
desire of the party to increase the number of its parliamentary seats
in the region is not to become an illusion".
The fulfillment of this desire, he said, demanded a lot of
sacrifice, hard work and dedication and not infighting.
Mr Alexander Quartey, Deputy Regional Secretary, also called on
members of the party, parliamentarians and executives at feuding
constituencies to exercise restraint and seek redress through the
appropriate party structure and move from entrenched positions.
He urged members to work as a team in the larger interest of the
party as the party prepared for "the crucial Presidential Conference
to elect our flagbearer and parliamentary primaries towards Elections
2008."Mr Quartey asked supporters to remain firm and to help win more
members for the party.
3 April 07