The Finder�s sources within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have hinted the paper about a serious shortage of cash, which is hampering the smooth running of internal party elections in the run-up to presidential primaries this year.
They said constituency level election in Ashaiman Constituency was postponed on first attempt because the party failed to get ballot papers on time as it struggled to fund the process.
The situation, they said, was more embarrassing in the Kpone-Katamanso Constituency, where delegates voted by writing on a piece of paper the number assigned to their preferred candidate, since there was no printed ballot paper.
Lack of cash has also caused some constituencies to postpone the compilation of their albums for onward submission to party headquarters.
The situation, The Finder sources say, has pushed some of those aspiring to become party executives to self-finance the organisation of elections at the polling station, electoral area and constituency levels.
The financing of these elections in the Ashanti Region by an aspiring Ashanti Regional chairman of the NPP, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, who paid more than GH�20,000 to cover nomination fees of candidates vying for the Ashanti Regional executive positions of the party, generated some controversy as some thought the candidate financier was likely to influence the delegates� vote.
The NPP needs to mobilise a minimum of some GH?30 million to cover election-related costs for party executives, parliamentary and presidential aspirants, according to our sources.
About 115,000 delegates will vote nationwide to elect the presidential candidate.
When The Finder asked the Director of Elections for the NPP, Martin Adjei Mensah Korsah, about the issue, he said: �Nobody can have enough. The Electoral Commission was given half of their budgetary request for the upcoming local level elections. What is important is that about 98% of elections from polling stations to constituency level have been conducted successfully.�
He explained that internal elections are funded by filing fees and money generated from the sale of nomination forms.
Mr Korsah said regional executive aspirants have picked up nomination forms and are expected to complete the forms, submit and pay filing fees between today and Friday. Vetting would take place this Saturday.
Election of regional executives would take place on January 25 while election of national executives is slated for March this year.
Source: Finder
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