Paramount Chiefs Threaten To Campaign Against NDC

The paramount chiefs of three traditional areas in the South�Dayi District and constituency in the Volta Region have threatened to pursue a campaign against the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to ensure that their people voted against their presidential and parliamentary candidates if the party failed to locate its constituency headquarters at Kpeve, the district capital. If the threat is carried through, the NDC may lose about 9,000 votes from the three traditional areas in the election. The chiefs are the Fiaga of Kpeve Traditional Area, Togbe Aku Dompeh XI, Fiaga of Tongor Traditional Area, Togbe Asuo Kwasi V, acting Fiaga of the Kpalime Traditional Area, Togbe Adza Wiah Kwesi II. In two separate petitions jointly signed by the chiefs to the Electoral Commission and the South Dayi District Chief Executive, the chiefs said they were expecting all votes cast in the forthcoming elections in December to be counted at Kpeve. �It should not be conveyed, counted and tallied at any location except the South Dayi District capital at Kpeve�, where the office of the EC was located, the petition stated. �Our aim is to eliminate suspicion and ensure a peaceful election in the South Dayi Constituency�, the petition stated. The second petition stated that the attention of the Kpalime, Tongor and Kpeve Traditional Areas had been drawn to the fact that their Member of Parliament (MP), Mr Edem Asimah intended to locate his office at Peki instead of Kpeve, the district capital. It stated that the decision to locate the said office at Peki was not acceptable to them because of the lack of consultation and also because Peki is not the district capital nor the constituency headquarters. Also, membership of parliament, is not the preserve of any traditional area within the district or constituency. It further stated that the MPs office was supposed to be an integral part of the district assembly concept, therefore, locating it outside the district assembly environment is inappropriate and that the district capital, Kpeve, is more suitable for the purpose. The petition made it clear that the MPs position could be won by any citizen from the four traditional areas, thus it was necessary that all his activities and actions should serve the common purpose of all and sundry, adding � in this regard, we believe that all projects and developments should be devoid of partisan, tribal or sectional interests�.