GAME & FONKAR Support EC's Position On Congress Voting

Supporters of the two NDC Flagbearer contenders have welcomed the new voting process outlined by the electoral commission for the party�s congress this weekend. The new system will require that two regions vote at one polling station except the Ashanti Region which will have one polling station because of the number of its delegates. The leadership of the NDC had earlier announced that voting would be conducted on regional basis to enable delegates to vote simultaneously at the Congress. But the campaign team of the Former First Lady kicked against the move and petitioned the party General Secretary. The EC also revealed the positioning of the two contenders on the ballot papers, with president Mills first, followed by the former first lady. Supporters of the two candidates told Citi News the new system should ensure a free and fair election. A leading member of FONKAR Dela Coffie intimated that �the reason why the campaign team was proposing that it should not be done by regional basis is because that concept is alien to the NDC. "The NDC has never held a congress where delegates are asked to vote on regional basis. "Even in 2006, there were four contestants yet the party thought it necessary to vote according to how it is down traditionally. "I think the campaign team basically was raising concerns about how people could be victimized after the congress and how the party could be divided after the contest. "Whatever the outcome, Nana Konadu would be winning". Spokesperson for the Get Atta Mills Endorsed (GAME), Barabara Asamoah has indicated to Citi News that GAME has never had an issue with the voting process and welcomes any changes. She said �we have a lot of confidence in the National Executives Committee who are organizing the contest so however they want to run the election we never had a problem with it. "We are like students who are going to write exams and have prepared very well, we have covered the syllabus and done revisions severally so we believe that no matter how the ballots are cast our candidate would be declared winner". Meanwhile a governance analyst with the Center for Democratic development, P.N.K. Abrampah Mensah has said there is no reason why the NDC should not come out united after the weekend�s congress. According to him, if all the acceptable democratic structures and procedures are followed at the congress, fears of a possible disintegration of the NDC will be a mirage. Mr. Abrampah Mensah said the successful organization of the NDC congress will further strengthen the country�s political system. He said �when you analyse political primaries in the country you realize that parties in government always have a negative effect after their primaries. "If they do not sit down well and mend affairs after any primaries, people who are predicting the party would disintegrate after the congress, I do not begrudge them. "They need to also understand that it is because of some of these things that we have set in place structures within every political party to deal with some of these issues when they come up. "The only thing is that people who man certain structures and institutions within parties must be seen as impartial to deal with some of these issues when they come up and be there for all the candidates and sides whenever issues come up so that people would be confident enough to use the structures in solving problems".