NPP Needs To Do A Scientific Introspection On Why It Keeps Losing In Some Areas � Former Minister

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has lost two consecutive general elections in recent times. The latest being the 2012 polls. Many, including the party leadership and flagbearer, Nana Akufo-Addo have ascribed reasons for the loss. Eventhough the NPP challenged the validity of the 2012 elections resulting in an eight month long legal battle at the Supreme Court, some believe the party needs to do a thorough introspection, possibly by way of a scientific inquest into the real causes of its declining popularity across the country. And that is the position of Hon. Kwabena Adjei-Darko, a former Local Government Minister in the erstwhile Kufuor government. The leading member of the party in the Brong-Ahafo Region is surprised that �no Chairman has taken the pains to research and ascertain the reason for the decline in our electoral fortunes�. �I was present when Jake and Sir John came here but I did not see any proper program format they put in place,�as in tasking the various Constituency Chairmen to investigate the voting pattern and know why we lost. Nobody has done that but what we are quick in doing is castigate leading members aligning themselves with others not taking a stop to consider the capacity and competence of those gunning for various positions�. Addressing the issue of factionalism and confusion that has characterized the internal elections being held in the party on NEAT FM�s �Me Man Nti�, the former minister advised that if the NPP is really serious about winning power, then they should use a scientific approach to all their dealings. ��by now forms should have been circulated to all the regions, for it to be duplicated to the constituencies to analyze the topography of the area�asking pertinent questions on the settler communities with the aim of establishing why we lose one particular village or the other and who are the prominent people to help boost our electoral fortunes,� Hon. Adjei-Darko suggested. To him, if this is done, the party would come to appreciate that one of the factors that has lead to its loss in general elections is the discrimination of party members because they are believed to belong to one faction or the other. The NPP stalwart further recalled an instance where some polling station agents were elected not based on their competence but because they were affiliated to a particular party bigwig. ��let me tell you one thing. There was this election where polling station executives in a cosmopolitan constituency and excuse me to say, it is not a constituency located in some village but there were about 87 spoilt ballots after about 600 people cast their votes. So if you have selected 5 of your best men in each polling station and 87 do not know how to vote, how can they educate other party faithfuls on how to properly cast their ballot?� he bemoaned.