Independent candidates cannot contest on NDC ticket at Akatsi-South, Buem by-elections

Members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) who contested the 2012 parliamentary election as independent candidates need to re-apply to rejoin the party to qualify to contest by-elections on the party’s ticket.

Mr Simon Amegashie-Viglo, Volta Regional Secretary of the party, stated this in response to questions by reporters on the eligibility of those candidates to contest the vacant Akatsi-South and Buem constituency seats on the NDC’s ticket.

He said such candidates could, however, contest those by-elections as independent candidates once they had satisfied the conditions spelt out by the Electoral Commission.

Mr Amegashie-Viglo said 10 candidates had picked forms seeking the party’s endorsement to contest the Buem seat, while seven others were seeking to be selected by the party to contest the Akatsi-South seat.

Vetting of the prospective candidates began at the Residency in Ho on Wednesday, January 16, 2013.

The Buem seat became vacant following the death of Mr Ford Henry Kamel who was re-elected MP on the ticket of the NDC in the December 2012 Parliamentary election, while the Akatsi-South seat was vacated by Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, who was elected as Speaker of Parliament.

-GNA