As the New Patriotic Party’s National Executive elections prepares to get underway, all the Party’s International Branches are required to conduct elections beforehand and submit their list of delegates to the National Conference.
The tensions and excitement that is greeting these elections in several countries is testament to the popularity the Party continues to enjoy. The election in Japan, in a lot of ways, epitomizes these election-fueled internal wranglings.
Against all counsel and appeals from the Party’s membership and elders, a faction of the current Party executives, led by its current Chairman, Dr Bernard Oppong-Kusi, without any regard for Party structures and basic norms of election, organized a few of their friends to literally share the Party’s Executive positions among themselves on Sunday, June 19th.
It was a mockery of an election and rightly so, a faction of the current executives and a broad majority of the party have roundly rejected this ‘ambush’ elections and a petition has been sent to the Party Head Office for adjudication. Party members are hopeful that an amicable solution will be found to resolve the current internal wranglings and pave the way for NPP Japan to be on a solid footing to marshal its resources to support the 2024 national elections.
Mr Awuah, the current Vice Chairman and some of the current executives and members in an interview, said they were resolutely firm on their decision to reject the June 19th election and pursue all available options to ensure that the elections are conducted democratically and in the spirit of the Party’s constitution governing elections. He further stated that the Party in Japan is ready to conduct a fresh election as soon as the National Office orders so.
“The bigger picture after all, he says, is for the Party to break the eight (8)”. He hopes the Party would close it ranks and work hard towards this common goal.