The National Democratic Congress has banned all splinter groups as it begins preparation for its Parliamentary primaries. At a press conference in Accra on Thursday, General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketia announced guidelines for the parliamentary elections in the orphan constituencies - constituencies which have no representatives for the NDC. According to him, nominations for those constituencies will be opened on September 15, 2011 and will close the following day for vetting to begin. The cost for the nomination forms is GHS 2,000 for males and GHS 1,000 for females, Joy News’ Hannah Odame who was present at the conference reported. The elections in those constituencies are expected to be held between 1-31 October, 2011. Mr Asiedu Nketia also noted that nominations have not yet opened in areas where the party has sitting MPs. He called on all who intend to vie for those seats, but who are serving in official capacities to resign their positions before campaigning. Nketiah also officially announced that all splinter groups will no longer be recognized in the party. Groups like Get Atta Mills Endorsed (GAME), Friends of Nana Konadu Agyeman- Rawlings (FONKAR) and many others made headlines before and during the National Delegates Congress which retained President John Mills as the presidential candidate of the party. The General Secretary advised the media not to provide its platforms to such groups and must address all concerns to the party’s official structures.