The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Communications Director, Yaw Buaben Asamoah, has disclosed that the process for the party’s constitutional amendment at its just ended conference would have been chaotic and difficult. This, he made known, was due to the large number of delegates present at its just ended conference.
Speaking on the deferment of the amendment of the NPP’s constitution, he noted that the numbers were way above the expected numbers and as such the party couldn’t approve the 38 proposals.
“At the time we developed that constitutional provision, you have barely 600 people attending the national conference. Now, you have almost 8,000 people coming together and with 8000 people and 38 proposals, within which [you have] 91 distinct motions, it was simply going to be a difficulty if not chaotic to attempt to make those changes”.
Yaw Buaben Asamoah
Touching on why the changes are being made, he stated that it’s because the amendment provision within the party’s constitution is not resilient enough. And as such, he averred that it is unable to take charge and deal with the current circumstances within which amendments have to be made.
“Just like other things with law, one has to proceed legally when important things like constitutional amendments are at stake”.
Yaw Buaben Asamoah
According to Buaben Asamoah, the provision requires that the party does the amendment at a national conference. He explained that the party is to receive the proposals through the general secretary not less than two months to the conference, circulate the proposals and then debate them for approval at the conference.
“This process couldn’t be done the way the constitution is envisaged that every single motion will have to be moved, for it to be debated and voted before it becomes law or otherwise”.
Yaw Buaben Asamoah
NPP dismisses general acceptance of Veep
Mr. Yaw Buaben Asamoah dismissed assertions suggesting that there is a general acceptance of the Vice-President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as the next flagbearer of the party.
The Communications Director of NPP noted that all flagbearer aspirants will be given a levelled ground to compete. He mentioned that this is not the first time a Vice-President is contesting for the leadership of the party, citing the late Alhaji Aliu Mahama who contested in the 2007 primaries of the NPP, though he didn’t win.
“And so, as a sitting Vice-President he was enabled by our rules, which allow anybody and everybody to also contest. As sitting Vice-President, he didn’t have to resign or anything of that sort, so our rules are resilient enough to take care of all the contestants who want to”.
Yaw Buaben Asamoah
Mr. Buaben Asamoah revealed none of the aspirants will be restricted by the party or anybody from being elected through the electoral college, which is the constitutional amendment from its experience when 17 people ran for the presidency of the party.
The NPP is yet to open nominations for the position, however, the Vice-President’s name and a few others such as the former Energy Minister Boakye Kyeremateng Agyarko, Trade and Industry Minister Alan Kyerematen, former Railways Minister Joe Ghartey, and the Agric Minister Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto are already making rounds as contenders.
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