Aggrieved groups within the ruling NDC contesting the president’s nominees for metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies have been asked to pipe down and give way to rule of law. Some dissatisfied NDC members have showed their indignation about the appointees, yet to be approved, and have in some areas staged violent demonstrations against the party’s national executives. For instance, in Akwatia in the Eastern Region, the constituency office was almost burnt down; but the angry youth allegedly succeeded in burning computers, furniture and documents among other things belonging to the party; also in Nsawam, in the same region, a main road was blocked with an abandoned car, as part of their demonstration. But this registration of grievances has been condemned by a number of people including the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr. Joseph Yieleh Chireh, describing it as an “act of criminal behaviour”. He stressed: “Let’s condemn the acts of violence that people use to express their disagreement; we live in a constitutional era where civility should prevail, no matter how strongly you feel about something you disagree with.” The agitated groups said some of the nominees were not part of the initially short-listed names but managed to find their way into the final list. But this, Mr Yieleh Chireh explained, could be the work of the president since “he has the right to go by the list or beyond it”. He gave the assurances that the concerns raised by the people would be brought to the attention of the president for consideration, but noted: “We cannot satisfy every individual”. The minister explained some factors that contributed to the final selection: “Once you expressed your disagreement with the choice of the president, then you set the motion for consultation, not violence…sometimes not even about criminal records but there are some concerns about balance, about who should be able to do the job and all that, so these are the many, many things that come into factor.” With this not withstanding, Mr Yieleh Chireh said the president should be given credit for the all general acceptance of the nominees. “If you have over 100 names released and a few are hot spots, you can mark yourself with a certain degree of ok, things are better. It is not totally unexpected, one way or the other, you should expect some resistance, some opposition; and this to me, is not too much out of the way.” President John Evans Atta Mills on Monday nominated 143 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives for nine out of the 10 Regions for confirmation by their respective assemblies and subsequent appointment. Story by Isaac Essel/Myjoyonline.com