[ 2016-01-30 ]

CPP elects presidential candidate today for election 2016
The Chairman of the Convention People's Party
(CPP), Professor Edmund Delle, says the party's
presidential primary will go ahead today as
scheduled, in spite of an application by a member,
Dr Nathan Onsy Nkrumah, to restrain it from doing
so.

Prof. Delle told the Daily Graphic yesterday that
the executive or its assigns had not received any
letter from the court barring the party from going
ahead with its congress.

'It is not an injunction from the court. This is
somebody who is going to move a motion and by the
time he moves the congress would have been over.
If the court had written to us to stop us, that
would have been different,' he said.

Dr Nkrumah has filed an application for
interlocutory injunction to stop the CPP from
'conducting, organising or holding an election or
congress with a view to electing a presidential
candidate or flag bearer of the defendant party
pending the final determination of the case'.

In the substantive case, Dr Nkrumah, who claims to
be the son of Ghana's first president, is asking
for a declaration that his inability to file his
presidential nomination forms was wrongly caused
by the CPP.

He is requesting for an order to compel the
defendant to accept his nomination fee and to
allow him to contest the presidential primary at
the extended date beyond six weeks from the filing
of nominations.



In the event that the presidential congress is
held, Dr Nkrumah is praying the court to set aside
the outcome of the congress, on grounds that it
was held in breach of the party's constitution.

General damages for breach of the plaintiff's
right in the form of wrongfully aborting his
desire to file his nomination forms and cost
including legal fees are also being sought by the
plaintiff.



Injunction application
An affidavit in support of the application for
injunction sworn on behalf of Dr Nkrumah by
Theresa Rockson, a law clerk at Sundown Legal
Service, said there was every indication the
congress would go on despite the plaintiff's
suit.

It said the balance of convenience favoured the
plaintiff, since he would lose the opportunity to
contest the primary for the 2016 general election
whereas a mere change in date would not
fundamentally affect the fortunes of the CPP.

'That as stated in the statement of claim, the
defendant consciously and maliciously prevented
the plaintiff from filing his nomination forms and
therefore the court should not exercise its
discretion in its favour,' the affidavit noted.

According to the plaintiff, unlike him, the CPP
would not suffer any irreparable injury when it is
restrained by the court.

Statement of claim
The plaintiff picked up nomination forms to
contest for the CPP presidential ticket but could
not file before the deadline because he reportedly
did not meet the requirements for the race at the
close of nominations on January 11, 2016.

But in the substantive case, the plaintiff claimed
he had been treated unfairly and was accordingly
praying the court to order the party to reinstate
him in the race.

According to the plaintiff, he had made several
attempts to file his nomination forms but either
the defendant had caused thugs to block him from
entering the party's offices or there had been no
one in the party office to receive his nomination
forms for reasons known to the CPP.

'The plaintiff says the defendant caused his
lawyers to write to the party through the chairman
to explain what had transpired at the party office
and to seek extension of time to file but that was
also fruitless.



'The plaintiff says it is provided in the
defendant's constitution that there must be a
space of a period of not less than six weeks
between the filing of presidential nomination
forms and the congress to elect a flag bearer,'
the statement asserted.

According to the plaintiff, the neglect or refusal
to abide by the constitutional provision was a
fundamental breach which ought to be considered by
the court to annul the entire process of the
congress to make the defendant to respect its own
constitution.

Prof. Delle
But Professor Delle said preparations such as
security and logistics were in place, while
confirmation from invited guests of their
attendance had been received.

The Electoral Commission (EC) had also confirmed
its presence at today's congress. He said some
delegates from other parts of the country were in
town as of yesterday.

Preparation
Meanwhile, all is set for the party to hold the
presidential primary at the Ghana International
Trade Fair Centre, La, in Accra.

A visit to the Trade Fair Centre yesterday showed
that the party was making feverish preparations
and leaving no stone unturned to ensure the
conduct of a smooth election.

When the Daily Graphic yesterday visited Pavilion
'B', which will serve as the venue of the event,
to assess the extent of readiness of the party,
the organisers were making all the last-minute
preparations for the programme.

Posters and banners of candidates vying for the
presidential candidate slot were seen posted
around the building.

Paraphernalia of three out of the four candidates
- namely Samia Yaba Nkrumah, Ivor Kobina
Greenstreet and Joseph Agyapong - were visibly
displayed at the main entrance of the Trade Fair
Centre and the main hall hosting the delegates
while two huge banners of candidate Bright Oblitei
Akwetey hung at the entrance of the Trade Fair
Centre.



Street light poles from the La General Hospital
towards the Trade Fair Centre were also decorated
with CPP flags to indicate that the party was
ready for its presidential primary.

Although the CPP executive members were not
present at the venue at the time of the visit,
some persons engaged to decorate the hall were
busily working.

About 2,500 delegates from the length and breadth
of the country are expected to attend and elect a
presidential candidate to lead the party for the
2016 general election.

Security
Meanwhile, Emelia Ennin Abbey reports that
more than 500 police personnel have been
despatched by the Accra Regional Police Command to
provide security ahead of the presidential primary
of the Convention People's Party at the Trade Fair
Centre, La, Accra.

The personnel, according to COP Dr George Akuffu
Dampare, the Accra Regional Police Commander, are
to provide security at the venue and to ensure the
election takes off smoothly without any
disturbances.

The personnel were yesterday (Friday) taken
through their expectations for the day at a parade
at the Accra Regional Police headquarters.

Parade
Addressing the personnel, Dr Dampare asked them
'to make sure that the life of every person is
protected as this forms part of our major
political assignment for the year'.

He urged personnel to go out there and show a
class and not to intimidate anybody.

'Embark upon doing things differently for people
to know that you have come of age and implement
some of the new innovations of policing that you
have been taught,' he revealed.

The Communication Director of the CPP, Mr Kadri
Abdul Rauf, in a telephone interview, said
arrangements were on course and that the CPP was
ready to hold the congress as planned.

Source - Graphic online

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