The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has approved guidelines for the Party’s constituency, regional, and national elections for the next three months.
About 7,900 executives are expected to be elected in a total of 876 elections at the constituency, regional, and national elections.
The Party’s Branch elections, held in about 29,000 branches of the Party across the country, is expected to be completed next week to pave way for the next round of elections.
Per the guidelines, the Party will hold its Constituency elections between 22 and 23 October, 2022, while the regional elections will be held between 12 and 13 November, 2022.
The National Congress will be held on December 17, 2022.
Addressing a news conference in Accra, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, General Secretary, NDC, said all aspirants must be members in good standing and must have joined the Party for at least four years.
He said a five-member elections committee would be constituted to supervise the elections at all levels.
Mr Nketia said nomination forms for all the elections would be made available online and that payment for picking and filing of nomination forms would be done electronically.
Timetable
The NDC will open nominations for its Constituency elections between 20 and 22 September, and filing of nominations is slated for September 28 to 29, 2022.
The nominees would be vetted between September 30 and October 2, and the hearing of appeals would be done on October 5, 2022.
Mr Asiedu Nketia said the opening of nominations at the regional elections would be done between October 6 and October 7 and the filing of nominations between October 14 and 15, 2022.
He said the main regional elections would be heralded by the Regional Youth Organiser and Women’s Organiser conferences slated for November 11, 2022.
Regarding the National Congress, the NDC will open nominations between October 20 and 21, while filing of nominations will be received from November 5-6, 2022.
“We will hold the National Youth Organiser and Women conferences on Saturday, December 10, and the main national Congress will be held on December 17, 2022,” Mr Nketia said.
Filling fees
The NDC said persons living with any form of disability would be offered 50% discount on the filing fees at all levels.
Mr Nketia said aspirants for the Constituency Chairmanship position would pay a filing fee of GH₵600 while those vying for the Constituency Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Organiser, Treasurer, and Communications Officer positions will pay GH₵400.
Aspirants for the Regional Chairmanship positions would pay a filing fee of GH₵4,000, and those vying for the Regional, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Organiser, Treasurer, and Communications Officer positions will pay GH₵3,000.
“The Youth, Women, and Zongo Caucus Coordinators will pay GH₵2,000 and all other deputies will pay GH₵1,500,” Mr Nketia said.
The Party said it was yet to finalise the guidelines for the national elections.
As part of measures to address challenges associated with the Tertiary Education Institutions Network (TEIN), Mr Nketia said the Party had resolved that any TEIN Branch must have been credited for at least since 2020 to be eligible to participate in the elections.