About 79 polling station chairmen and several supporters of the New Patriotic Party at Bekwai in the Amansie East constituency of the Ashanti region on Wednesday morning returned to the streets to protest what they say have been the party’s undue silence over their petition to get their parliamentary primary re-run. An earlier demonstration in the town in May this year led to nasty incidents when supporters of Mr Joe Osei-Wusu, Chief Executive Officer of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) protesting the outcome of the primary, clashed with the police. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators who blocked roads with burning tyres. Incumbent MP, Mr Kofi Adusei polled 70 votes to beat Osei-Wusu, who had 69 votes. But the protesting chairmen claim there was an anomaly and the result should therefore not stand. They told Yaw Ansu-Gyeabour of Luv FM in Kumasi that among those who voted was a woman who was not qualified, but after a brief protest and to allow sanity to prevail at the primary, they allowed her. Three days after the primary they filed their petition to correct the anomaly. But they claim the party hierarchy appears to have spurned their petition and warned they would vote ‘skirt and blouse’ or shift allegiance altogether if their concern is not addressed. Under pressure Joe Osei-Wusu on his part says the delay is tasking him unduly and even though he has asked his supporters to hold on, he said the right thing should be done without further delay. “It pushes so much strain on me particularly when I’m asked to choose between my community and my party because I don’t want to choose between them, I want to have both. I want to be true and true son of Amansie. I want to be able to put back all the experiences and competencies I have earned to the community but I have also worked and toiled hard for the party NPP and so I don’t want to leave either. So I’m being stressed up, very terribly stressed up.” Meanwhile NPP General Secretary, Nana Ohene Ntow, has told Joy FM that a committee set up to investigate the Bekwai ripples was due to submit its report to the party today. Author: Isaac Yeboah