RESCIND DECISION...Okyere polling station chairmen appeal to Dan Botwe (PAGE 17)

ABOUT 70 New Patriotic Party (NPP) polling station chairmen in the Okere Constituency in the Eastern Region have made a passionate appeal to Mr Dan Botwe, a former General Secretary of the party, to make himself available for vetting to become the party’s parliamentary candidate for the December parliamentary elections.
This, according to the group, had become necessary due to the disqualification of the three candidates who put themselves up.
Two of the candidates, Messrs Paul Larbi and Clement Ofori were disqualified because their membership of the party had not been up to two years while the other candidate, Mr Charles Okraku Budu, a polling station chairman, did not resign from his position before filing his papers, all of which are contrary to the NPP Constitution.
At a press conference at Apirade at the weekend, the group described as baseless an allegation by 14 polling station chairmen that the three aspirants were intentionally disqualified to pave the way for Mr Dan Botwe.
A spokesman for the group, Mr Samuel Larbi, who read the press statement, quoted Article 11 clause 4 (I) of the NPP Constitution which stipulates that “no member shall be entitled to apply for nomination as the party’s parliamentary candidate for any constituency unless he or she is an active member for at least two years.”
He stated that this clearly disqualified Messrs Larbi and Ofori while Okraku, who resigned his position only on March 3, this year, should have done so on or before February 29, this year.
“If these candidates have been disqualified and the National Executive Committee, by its discretion, has taken a final decision it considers to be in the best interest of the larger party, then what is the problem?” Mr Samuel Larbi asked.
He said to allow sanity to prevail in the party in the area, the constituency executive invited the Regional Second Vice-Chairman to explain the reasons for the disqualification of the three to the members of the party, which was done on the first day of this month.
Mr Samuel Larbi stated that despite the explanation, a few polling station chairmen refused to accept it and indicated that the petition with the signatures of some of the dissenting polling station chairmen that was sent to the party’s headquarters, pleading that none of the contestants should be disqualified was fraudulent.
He stated that although Mr Dan Botwe had decided not to contest the primaries, the majority of them wanted him to rescind his decision to enable him to be voted for and continue the good work of the present MP, Mr B.K. Adu.
Earlier, a large group of NPP members in the constituency besieged the Methodist Park, the venue of the press conference, holding placards and dancing to brass band music. They called on Mr Dan Botwe to contest the parliamentary seat on the ticket of the party.
Some of the placards read “Dan Botwe All the Way”, Dan Botwe, Okere Needs You” and Dan Botwe, Yehia Wo”( meaning “Dan Botwe, we need you” in Akuapem Twi).