The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has directed all constituency offices not to deny any parliamentary aspirant access to procuring the nomination forms.

It, therefore, asked party officials at the constituencies to make themselves available so that anyone desirous of procuring the nomination forms would not be hindered in having access to the forms.

The Director of Research and Elections of the NPP, Mr Evans Nimako, told the Daily Graphic in an interview yesterday that party unity was paramount to any individual or group’s interest.

He reminded the constituency executive that it was important they abided by the dictates of the rules of engagement on the entire process leading to the holding of constituency conferences to select parliamentary candidates on April 25, 2020.

Use channels

Mr Nimako also appealed to parliamentary aspirants who might be challenged in procuring the nomination forms to use the laid-down processes in seeking redress.

Throwing more light on the channels to seek redress, he said aggrieved members could approach the regional executive and if that failed, such aspirants could apply to the national executives for the forms.

He said so far as those procedures had been outlined to party members, aggrieved members should use the process instead of creating fear and panic when they had not utilised the laid-down channels.

The director of elections of the party said going to the media to complain was not an answer to dealing with the challenges.

Schedules

Mr Nimako said when nominations are closed on February 20, 2020, the constituency secretariats would be expected to endorse the completed forms on February 21, 2020 and the forms submitted to the regional secretariats on February 24, 2020 for further endorsement.

He said the regional secretariats would then be expected to submit the forms to the national secretariat on Wednesday, February 26 through the general secretary of the party.

Mr Nimako said vetting of parliamentary aspirants would take place between February 28 and March 8, 2020, after which the list of recommended aspirants would be published at the constituency and regional secretariats on March 11, 2020.

He said disqualified or dissatisfied aspirants would have between March 13 and 14 to appeal to the National Parliamentary Appeals Committee while the appeals committee would sit on such appeals between March 16 and 21, 2020.

The appeals committee, he said, would have to submit its report to the national secretariat by March 23, 2020 for publication of notice of poll on April 4, 2020.

Background

The NPP opened its nominations for presidential and parliamentary primaries from January 20 to Thursday, February 20, 2020.

Aspiring presidential candidates will be required to pay GH¢200,000 as filing fees, while parliamentary candidates will be required to pay GH¢20,000.

However, those who are not sitting Members of Parliament (MPs) will be required to pay a party development fee of GH¢30,000.

All aspiring parliamentary candidates are to procure nomination forms after the payment of the non-refundable application fee of GH¢2,000 in banker’s draft.

All aspiring parliamentary candidates other than the sitting members of Parliament are also to pay a party development fee of GH¢30,000.

Meanwhile, women, youth and Persons with Disability (PWDs) who vie for the parliamentary candidate position will enjoy a rebate of 50 per cent on the filing fees and development levy, and will be required to pay GH¢27,000.