The two major political parties - the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) - are planning to field women in the Chereponi bye-election. Sources close to the regional secretariats of the two parties told the Times about their intentions to pick women as their candidates. A stalwart of the NDC in the Northern Regional Office who pleaded anonymity hinted the Times that the regional executive was liaising with the Chereponi constituency executives to get a suitable and competent woman to contest the by-election on the party's ticket. He said that though four people including a woman had picked nomination forms, the leadership would prefer a woman to man. The source was however quick to add that the leaders would never impose any person on the constituency and the party would organise a congress to decide on who to lead them. According to the source, the NDC intended to hold constituency conference in the first week of September to elect a candidate. This, according to some party members both within the constituency and regional, accounted for the reason why the DCE, Alhaji Abba who contested with late MP declined to contest. A reliable source from NPP side maintained that the party leadership would do everything possible to put a woman for the bye-election. The NPP believed that the late MP, Mrs Doris Asibi Seidu, had contributed immensely to the NPP and the constituency and the only way to honour her was to pick a woman to contest the seat on the party ticket. Also a cross section of voters in the Chereponi township expressed their willingness to support any party that fielded a woman candidate. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs yesterday appealed to all the political parties contesting the Chereponi Constituency bye-election to nominate a woman to contest the seat. A press statement signed by Ms Akua Sena Dansua, the sector minister, said the call comes in the wake of a communique by representatives of political parties at a high level workshop on "political party's strategy for Developing Female Candidates and National Elections." She said: "We believe the time has come for the political parties to show commitment to the communique they signed and the various provisions and promises made in their manifestoes to involve more women in the government of the country.” Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission has fixed the bye-election on September 29. Source: Times/Ghana