By Edward Acquah
Accra, Feb. 17, GNA – The Campaign Team of Mr Alan Kyerematen, a flagbearer hopeful of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has urged the Party to hold its presidential primaries early to offer the prospective leader adequate time to prepare for the 2024 general election.
The Team has also appealed to the Party’s leadership to allow aspirants to campaign ahead of the date for the primaries to offer them enough time to engage with delegates.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr Yaw Buaben Asamoa, Spokesperson for Mr Kyerematen’s Campaign, said the Camp would prefer the presidential primaries to be held in either August or September this year.
“We believe that the earlier the date, the better. If we are to succeed ourselves as an administration, then it is important that we have the next potential President early so that the President can influence public policy going forward,” he said.
Mr Asamoa said if elected earlier, the flagbearer would have the opportunity to make input in the priorities and budgets of the Government in a manner that would positively affect the chances of the Party in the next general election.
He said the Party’s delegates also needed enough time to meet with the aspirants and assess their capabilities, hence the need for the Party to allow the aspirants to campaign ahead of their nomination.
“If the nomination process is delaying because the Party cannot fix the date for the election, then it is difficult for the candidate and the Party itself because that space could be filled with activity between delegates and potential candidates,” Mr Asamoa said.
The NPP is yet to announce a date for its presidential and parliamentary primaries.
The Party’s National Council met in Accra earlier this month to decide on the date for the primaries, but the meeting was reported to have ended inconclusively.
The Party said it would engage broadly on the issue to arrive at a consensus.
Per the NPP’s Constitution, the Party must elect its presidential candidate 11 months before the general election, when it is in power.
Mr Kyerematen, who has been working towards becoming President since 2007, resigned as Minister of Trade and Industry last month to pursue his presidential ambition.
He officially announced his decision to contest the NPP flagbearership race in an address on January 10, 2023.
In that address, Mr Kyerematen said the country required a new plan to build a self-reliant economy to avoid going back to the International Monetary Fund in future.
He said if he succeeded in his quest to become President in the next general election, he would launch and lead the execution of the Great Transformational Plan of Ghana, which would span the period 2025 to 2030 to revamp key sectors of the economy.
Mr Asamoa said Mr Kyerematen had so far toured the Ashanti, Bono East, Bono, Ahafo, Western North, Volta, and Eastern regions, where he met chiefs and delegates to officially inform them about his decision to contest the NPP flagbearership race.
“Everywhere we have been, there is the feeling that Mr Kyerematen is the right man in the right place for the right job,” he said.
GNA