NDC MP aspirants in Gt Accra for vetting today

Immediately after the vetting process, candidates would be made to know whether they have been given the green light to contest or to try again in four years’ time.

Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the NDC Greater Accra Regional Secretary, Mr Victor Quarshie Adonoo, said the vetting panel would comprise a team from the national headquarters, regional and constituency executives.

He also said the Ashaiman Constituency recorded the highest number of seven candidates filing their nominations.

Guidelines

Touching on some of the key areas that the vetting committee would be looking out for, Mr Adonoo said the candidates would be queried on the party’s ‘code of conduct’.

“How long a candidate has served the party will be a key determinant of whether or not he or she qualifies to contest the election,” he said.

Apart from the four-year membership requirement, candidates ought to provide proof of their contribution to the growth of the party.

“You must be an active member of the party,” he added.

After vetting

Mr Adonoo said after the vetting, the delegates’ album would be made available to candidates two weeks before the November 7, 2015 election day.

He also said the party would have 6,000 polling stations across the country on the Election Day.

Mr Adonoo advised the candidates not to think of filing as independent candidates in case they were disqualified because “it shows a clear disrespect for the party’s code and conduct”.

Voting trends

The voting patterns for the two main political parties —NDC and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) — in the Greater Accra Region indicate that it has always been a close contest in the last three elections.

For instance, the NDC, in 2004, garnered support from 46.64 per cent of the 2,098,780 registered voters, while the NPP got 51.71 per cent.

Even though the party was still in opposition in 2008, the NDC managed to increase its percentage to 52.11 out of the total number of 2,514,739 registered voters, with the ruling NPP settling for 46.03 per cent.

The NDC, in the run-off in 2008, came back stronger with 54.45 per cent of the total number of 2,514,739 registered voters, while the NPP sank further by obtaining 45.54 per cent of the total number of registered voters in the region.

In 2012, however, the NDC, which had been elected to form a government, had dwindling fortunes in the Greater Accra Region with 52.31 per cent of the votes, while the opposition NPP increased its stakes by snatching 46.92 per cent votes, which was a slight improvement over its performance in 2008.

As the 2016 election year approaches, the two parties’ wil be engaged in yet another contest to ascertain which party will emerge as the winner in the region.