The New Patriotic Party has cautioned its executives to desist from or campaigning for the presidential or parliamentary aspirants.
This is contained in a release signed by the General Secretary of the party, Justin Kodua Frimpong on August 5, 2022.
The caution is in line with a video circulating, in which Mr. Bernard Antwi Boasiako, Ashanti Regional Chairman of the party, openly endorsed one of the party’s presidential hopefuls. He has however been invited and engaged on the need to desist from such conduct.
The leadership of the party, in reaction, stated that the act of or campaigning for candidates is contrary to the party’s code of conduct.
“It would be recalled that the National Council of the party, on July 27, 2021, issued a Code of Conduct for the party’s presidential and parliamentary primaries.
In line with Articles 2(3) and 2(4) of the party’s Constitution, the Code of Conduct seeks to foster the spirit of healthy intra-party contests by guaranteeing equal opportunity for all stakeholders.
For emphasis, the Code of Conduct provides in Section 1 (f) that:
“Members, supporters, sympathizers of the Party at all levels shall desist from using their public office or portfolio within or outside the party to promote the interest of any prospective presidential or parliamentary candidate in order to gain unfair political advantage.”’
The statement added that “failure to comply with this directive, may lead to huge consequences and sanctions against such offending officer, member or prospective aspirant in line with the grievance procedures stipulated in the Code of Conduct.”
According to the release, “until the party duly opens nominations for presidential and parliamentary primaries, all prospective presidential and parliamentary aspirants are to desist from all forms of campaign activities mounting of billboards and holding meetings with party executives as that would be in breach of the Code of Conduct.”
The statement further noted that the “institution of these disciplinary measures is to avert the menace of internal party wrangling, and factionalism, which usually arise when Party executives openly declare support for aspirants, thereby dividing the Party front in the lead-up to general elections.”
“It is also intended to avoid the repetition of the electoral misfortunes of our tradition in the 1979 and 2008 general elections which were linked to Party officials openly leading the campaign of aspirants,” the statement added.
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