NDCs Vetting Committee Decides Fate Of Mills & Konadu On Friday

The two contenders for the governing National Democratic Congress�s (NDC) flagbearer slot, President John Atta Mills and Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, will know if they have officially qualified to compete in the party�s presidential primaries on Friday June 10. The NDC Vetting Committee, chaired by a former co-Chairman of the party, Alhaji Issifu Ali, is expected to present its report to NDC General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketiah on Friday, although a deep throat source told Citi News the two will be passed as fit, having been longtime members of the party. Majority Leader Cletus Avorka; Chris Ackumey, a member of the NDC legal team; long-serving party member and former Health Minister Dr (Mrs) Mary Grant; and Lionel Molbila, a former Upper West Regional Minister make up the rest of the committee. Mr Asiedu Nketiah told CitiNews in an interview that clearance from the committee will grant the candidates access to the delegates list to enable them fine-tune and intensify their campaigns. Mr Asiedu Nketiah also revealed the party has no plans to arrange a meeting for the two campaign teams to iron out any differences in the wake of clashes and the trading of insults by supporters if the two candidates. �The number of candidates involved is manageable, and also the fact that we�ve practiced this multiparty elections for quite some time now so we consider the various candidates to be matured," he explained. �However, the guidelines make provision for candidates to report any perceived breaches by the other candidate or breaches against them to the National Executive Committee and upon receipt of such petition we can then call the other party to order,� he told Citi News. The NDC will choose its presidential candidate for the 2012 elections at a National Delegates Congress from July 8-10, 2011 in the Brong Ahafo regional capital of Sunyani. The two aspirants, Nana Konadu and Prof Mills, were vetted on Tuesday June 7, and Wednesday June 8, 2011 respectively at the party�s headquarters at Kokomlemle, Accra. They answered questions bordering on her suitability and preparedness to lead the party into the 2012 general elections. The process was described by the Chairman of the Vetting Committee, Alhaji Issifu Ali as cordial, who then charged the two not to break away from the party if they lost the contest. The party has over 3,000 delegates, including foreign branch representatives, who are expected to cast their ballots during the three-day special congress. They comprise the Founder of the Party, Leader of the Party and President of the Republic, the Vice President, National Executive Committee Members, Ministers of State, Selected Regional Executives, Committee Members, Parliamentarians and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) who are members of the party. For the first time in the party�s internal electoral process, the Council of Elders and representatives of the Tertiary Education Institution Network (TEIN) who form a vital component of the party�s constitution have also been included in the number of delegates expected at the Congress. Their inclusion was approved by the National Congress in Tamale early this year.