We Will Make Sure John Mahama Is Elected NDC Flagbearer"

A leading member of the NDC, Mr. Sam P. Yarley says it would be disastrous for the NDC to elect someone else beside President John Dramani Mahama as its flagbearer for the December elections. He said �some of us are going to make sure that John Mahama gets elected as the flagbearer of the party because we believe that at this material moment the best thing for the party is to affirm the candidature of John Mahama,� he said on Metro TV Good Morning Ghana show on Wednesday. President John Evans Atta Mills died Tuesday, July 24, 2012 and left vacancies, not only at the presidency, but also on the NDC�s presidential ticket. The former Vice President, John Dramani Mahama was sworn into office hours later, in accordance with Article 60 (6 -10) of the 1992 Constitution, but the void in the presidential slot of the NDC remain unfilled. Article 44 of the NDC Constitution, which talks about the election of a flagbearer for the party, is completely silent on what happens after the demise of a sitting flagbearer before national elections. But Article 50 gives residual powers to the National Executive, stating that �Where on any Party matter there is no provision in this Constitution which deals with that matter, the National Executive Committee shall, by regulations, provide for that matter to be dealt with.� Mr. Sam P. Yarley hinted that eventually the NDC would have to go for an emergency congress and elect a successor to the late president. �We will definitely go to congress and decide whether John Mahama, Mrs. Rawlings or whoever should be our flagbearer, but I insist that the best thing we can do for the party under the circumstance is to go to congress and proclaim John Mahama as our flagbearer for the December elections,� he said. Mr. Yarley said Mr. Mahama exudes the same humility, harmlessness and the kind of level-headedness that the late president exuded, and that is what the country needs to move forward. He said he is also confident that President John Mahama will appoint a befitting Vice President and running mate for the NDC for the December election in consultation with the right persons. But Mr. Obed Asamoah said the decision to make John Mahama flagbearer or not is entirely in the hands of congress and not for one or two people to decide. Meanwhile, the only one who challenged the late president for the NDC�s presidential slot, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, has stepped away from the party and has been linked with a newly formed party, the National Democratic Party. Two other persons, who started off to challenge the late president, the vociferous Dr. Ekow Spio-Garbrah and Dr. Kwesi Botwe have also been off the political radar for a while now. It is barely five months to elections, but the ruling NDC does not have a flagbearer, and it is yet to set a date to elect one.