NDC considers expanding delegates list
The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) will wrap up its tenure with a final meeting on Friday, December 19, ahead of the party’s national delegates congress on Saturday.
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Key on the agenda of the NEC meeting will be considerations to expand the size of delegates at its national congresses as part of its constitutional review, and also create an elections directorate to organise and manage internal elections in the party.
According to the party’s Director of Communications, Mr. James Asante, who spoke exclusively to Daily Graphic, there will also be deliberations on the possibility of establishing a National Youth Conference and a National Women’s Conference within the party to ensure enough space and focus for those “Very important wings of the party.”
“We recognise their roles and importance and of course, they have always been part and parcel of the party, very active if I may say so but the suggestion is that they need a much bigger space to operate than they have had and that will also be on the table.”
Congress programme
According to James Asante, a complete delegates list for Saturday’s congress is expected to be ready by Wednesday evening, and by 10am on Saturday, all delegates would be expected to be seated to pave the way for Dr. Kwabena Adjei, the national chairman, to open the congress.
That will be followed by the report of the General Secretary, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, who will give account of the health of the party.
Other personalities expected to address congress are NDC Founder, former President Jerry Rawlings, President John Mahama and a selection of key cabinet ministers who will speak on education, health, energy and finance.
The Electoral Commission then takes over to conduct the polls to elect national officers, during which process between 3,600 and 3,700 delegates will vote.
Those expected to vote at the congress are President Mahama, Vice President Paa Kwesi Amissah Arthur, Ex-President Rawlings as founder, founding members, National Executive Committee members, NDC ministers and deputy ministers, MMDCEs, NDC regional executives, NDC constituency executives, 2 members of the Tertiary Education Institutions Network (TEIN) from each region, NDC Council Elders, 120 diaspora members and all NDC MPs.
Congress grounds
The Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi, venue for the congress, is awashed with posters of contestants for the various executive positions. Graphic correspondents on the ground say nearly every inch of space on walls and trees in the vicinity of the stadium is playing host to one poster or the other of different sizes.
They also report of assurances by the regional police command of their readiness to police the congress to ensure a peaceful and successful event.
Positions being contested are: National Chairman; General Secretary; National Organizer; National Treasurer; National Propaganda Secretary; NEC Member; National Vice Chairman; Deputy General Secretary; Deputy National Organizer; Deputy National Treasurer; Deputy National Propaganda Secretary.