The Opposition National Democratic Congress(NDC), has spelt out modalities for the conduct its constituency elections.
GUIDELINES FOR THE CONDUCT OF NDC CONSTITUENCY ELECTIONS
1. INTRODUCTION
These Guidelines are made pursuant to Article 15 of the NDC Constitution and designed to ensure the conduct of free and fair elections for the election of Constituency executives, for the NDC, across the country.
The following members of the Constituency Executive Committee shall be elected at the Constituency Conference:
a) A Chairman
b) A Vice Chairman;
c) A Secretary:
d) A Deputy Secretary;
e) A Treasurer;
f) A Deputy Treasurer;
8) A constituency Organiser;
h) A Deputy Constituency Organiser;
i) A Communication Officer;
j) A Deputy Communication Officer;
k) Zongo Caucus Coordinator
1) Eight (8) other members;
The following members of the Constituency Executive Committee shall be elected by their respective organs at a Constituency Youth Conference and Constituency Women Conference attended by all branch Youth Organisers and branch Women Organisers respectively:
a) A Constituency Youth Organiser;
b) A Deputy Constituency Youth Organiser;
c) Other Youth representative
d) A Constituency Women Organiser; and
e) A Deputy Constituency Women Organiser
2. QUALIFICATIONS
2.1 Qualification to Contest
To qualify to contest elections at the Constituency level, the aspirant must meet the following eligibility criteria:
i. Must be a member of the party in good standing in a Branch in the Constituency (must have paid dues from 2018)
ii. Must be an active Member of the party in the last four (4) years. ii. Must not be serving sanctions occasioned by a breach of any of the provisions under Article 48(8) clauses (a) -(f) of the Party’s Constitution. iv. Meet all the provisions under Article 40(1) of the NDC constitution.
V. Any member of the Branch Executive Committee who wants to contest for any position at the Constituency level, shall resign his position at the Branch upon filing of his/her nomination.
2.2 Eligibility to Vote/Delegates
The following persons shall attend and vote at a Constituency Conference:
a) Members of the Branch Executives in the Constituency;
b) The member of Parliament and the Party Parliamentary candidate from the Constituency;
c) Members of the National Executive Committee both elected and co opted who are members of a Branch in the Constituency;
d) Members of the Regional Executive Committee both elected and co opted who are members of a Branch in the Constituency;
e) Members of the Constituency Executive Committee both elected and co-opted who are members of a Branch in the Constituency;
f) Members of the National and Regional Council of Elders who are members of the Party and hail from the constituency;
g) Ministers and Deputy Ministers of State who are members of the party and who are members of a Branch in the Constituency;
h) Presidential Staffers who are members of the party and who are members of a Branch in the Constituency;
i) Ambassadors and High Commissioners who are members of the party and who are members of a branch in the Constituency;
j) Former Ministers and Deputy Ministers of State who are members of the party and who are members of a branch in the Constituency;
k) District Chief Executives who are members of the party and who are members of a branch in the Constituency;
1) Former Members of Parliament who are members of the party and who are members of a branch in the Constituency;
m) Former ambassadors and High Commissioners who are members of the party and who are members of a branch in the Constituency;
n) Former Presidential Staffers who are members of the party and who are members of a branch in the Constituency;
o) Former members of Council of State who are members of the party and who are members of a branch in the Constituency;
p) Founding members of the Party who are members of the Party and who hail from the Constituency; and
q) Former Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives who are members of the party and who are members of a branch in the Constituency,
2.0 PROCEDURES
2.2 There shall be an official communication from the General Secretary to announce the time table for the opening of polls for Constituency elections.
2.3 Guided by the national calendar, the Constituency Executive Committee through the Chairman shall announce the date, time and place of the
Conference.
2.4 Nomination forms shall be made available online for download on www.ghanandc.com and a fee of Fifty Ghana Cedis Only (GHC 50.00) paid online.
2.5 The form shall be completed and the appropriate nomination fees paid online.
2.6 The completed Form shall be printed in triplicate together with the Form B (endorsement Form) which shall be completed with a postcard photograph attached and submitted to the Elections Committee at the Constituency Secretariat.
3.0 ENDORSEMENT OF ASPIRANTS
3.1 An aspirant shall be proposed by at least one person and seconded by at least three (3) persons all of whom shall be members of the Party in good standing at the branch (at least paid 3 months of dues).
3.2 The nomination form must be endorsed by one member each from at least two thirds (2/3) of the branches in the Constituency,
3.3 It is the responsibility of aspirants to check on status of a member proposing, seconding and endorsing their nomination.
3.4 No member can endorse more than one person contesting for the same position.
4.0 VETTING
4.1 There shall be established a 5-member vetting committee one of whom shall be a National representative and two representatives from the Regional Executive Committee and two from the Constituency electoral committee to vet the eligibility or otherwise of all aspirants.
4.2 Vetting of aspirants shall take place at a venue agreed by the Constituency Executive Committee in consultation with the Regional
Executive committee. 4.3 The vetting Committee shall at the end of the vetting, communicate its decisions to each aspirant and send same with relevant documents to National and the Regional Executive Committee.
4.4 Balloting for positions shall take place immediately after all aspirants have been vetted.
5.0 APPEALS PROCEDURE
5.1 An aspirant who is dissatisfied with the outcome of his or her vetting shall have the right of appeal, exercised in writing to the Regional
Appeals Committee within 2 days for determination.
5.2 The Regional Appeals Committee shall be a 3 member Committee composed of One National nominee and two regional nominees.
7. CONDUCT OF ELECTIONS
7.1 Where at the close of nomination only one person files for a position and such aspirant is successful at vetting, the aspirant shall be deemed to have been duly elected by conference.
7.2 An aspirant with a simple majority of votes cast and counted shall be declared elected.
7.3 The election shall be conducted by the Electoral Commission under the guidance of the Electoral Committee of the party.
7.4 The conference shall be supervised by a representative of the Regional Executive Committee and of the National Executive Committee.
8. ELECTORAL COMMITTEE
B.1 There shall be an Electoral Committee of five (5) to be constituted by the Constituency Executive Committee, on of whom shall be the Election Director or from the directorate, to oversee all the necessary administrative duties relating to the elections prior to the conference.
8.2 The Electoral Committee shall also oversee the Youth, Women Conferences.
9.3 Members of the Electoral Committee are not eligible to contest in the election.
9.0 VOTING
9.1 Voting shall be by secret ballot.
9.2 There shall be no proxy voting.
9.3 Sorting and counting of ballot shall be done immediately after the close of polls and the winner declared after the count of valid votes.
9.4 Where there is a tie, there shall be a rerun immediately by the conference.
10.0 FILING FEES
a) Chairman – GHC 600.00
b) Vice Chairman-GHC 500.00
c) SecretaryGHC 500.00
d) Organiser GHC 400.00
e) Treasurer – GHC 400.00
1) Communications Officer – GHC 400,00
g) Youth/Women Organisers- GHC 350.00
h) Zongo Caucus Co-ordinator – GHC 350.00
i) All Deputies/Other Youth Representative – GHC 300.00 i) Eight (8) Executive Members – GHC 200
11. PAYMENTS
Payment of all nomination fees and filing form fees shall be via www.ghanande.com and/or “920*251
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