Parties choose slots for parliamentary candidates

By Iddi Yire, GNA
Accra, Oct 20, GNA - The Electoral Commission (EC), on Thursday, conducted balloting for parliamentary candidates of the 15 participating political parties, with barely 48 days to the December 7 Polls.

Seven of the parties were represented at the EC's Head Office in Accra for the balloting. These are the National Democratic Congress (NDC), New Patriotic Party (NPP), Progressive People's Party (PPP), National Democratic Party (NDP), Independent People's Party (IPP), Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP) and the United People's Party (UPP).

The GCPP placed first, followed by the PPP, NDC, UPP and the NPP. The NDP placed sixth followed by the IPP at the close of the balloting for placement on the ballot paper for the election 2016.

The rest of the political parties, which were not present at the event, had their positions determined by the manner in which their presidential candidates filed their nomination papers.

They are the United Front Party (UFP) which placed eighth followed by the All People's Congress (APC), Reformed Patriotic Democrat (RPD), United Development System Party (UDSP), Ghana Freedom Party (GFP), Convention People's Party (CPP), People's National Convention (PNC) and the Democratic People's Party (DPP) placing 15th.

Mr Samuel Tettey, the EC Director for Elections, explained that the contest for the positions for the independent candidates would be held throughout the 275 constituencies.

On the issue that in the past, presidential and parliamentary candidates usually occupied the same position on the ballot paper, Mr Tettey said, it was a convention that the EC usually used in the past, but it was not backed by any law.

Mr Amadu Sulley, the EC Deputy Commissioner in-charge of Elections, said balloting for positions on the presidential ballot paper had been suspended pending the outcome of legal suits filed against the EC by some presidential aspirants who had been disqualified by the Commission.

He said due to the limited amount of time left, the EC would go ahead with the printing of the ballot papers and notice of polls for the parliamentary candidates.

He announced that the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) would hold its next meeting on Friday, October 28, to deliberate issues pertaining to the December 7 general election.

Mrs Charlotte Osei, the Chairperson of the EC, sat through the session.

Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, the General Secretary of the NDC, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said the number 'three' was significant in the divine realm; declaring that it was in line with John 3:16 in the Bible.

Mr John Boadu, the NPP's National Organiser, and Acting General Secretary, expressed concern over the different placement of presidential and parliamentary candidates on the ballot paper and its impact on the elections.

He, however, said he was hopeful that voters would be able distinguish his party's logo and the pictures attached to the elephant from other political parties.

GNA