The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has fixed April 30, 2011 to hold its parliamentary primaries towards the 2012 general elections. Eligible male aspirants must pay GH¢6,000 to complete the processes to file their nominations, except in constituencies where the party has sitting MPs. In such instances, aspirants will have to pay an additional GH¢10,000 as National Party Development Fee to bring the sum to GH¢16,000. Women aspirants will enjoy a rebate of 50% of the fee. Below are details of a statement signed by the party’s General Secretary, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, (Sir John), outlining the conditions and regulations to be satisfied by aspirants wishing to contest on the party’s ticket.

• An aspiring parliamentary candidate must ensure that he/she meets the requirements of qualification and eligibility set out in Article 94 of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution and articles 3, 11 and 17 of the NPP’s Constitution 2009.
• An aspirant shall satisfy both the Regional Executive Committee (REC) and National Executive Committee (NEC) respectively before filling his or her nomination with the Constituency Executive Committee (CEC). This shall constitute the pre-qualification process.
• The Regional Executive Committee and National Executive Committee shall issue a notice of an aspirant’s eligibility and endorse the aspirant’s nomination forms in the desired Constituency.
• An aspirant after satisfying the pre-qualification process shall then proceed to file his or her nomination with the Constituency Executive Committee.
• There shall be an Elections Committee and a Vetting Committee in all affected Constituencies. After the Vetting process, there shall be publication of the aspirants eligible for the Primary election.
• An applicant will pick up nomination forms upon payment of a non-refundable fee of GH¢1000.
• The applicant then proceeds to the Regional Office for certification and endorsement after payment of a non-refundable fee of GH¢2000. The Regional Secretary shall endorse the nomination forms of the aspirant and also issue him/her a letter permitting him/her to proceed for assessment by the National Executive Committee.
• An applicant contesting a Constituency with a sitting New Patriotic Party Parliamentarian shall be assessed by the National Executive Committee after the payment of GH¢10,000, as National Party Development Fee.
• As a function of encouraging more women to aspire to high political office, women candidates will enjoy a rebate of 50% of the fee.
• The General Secretary of the Party shall endorse the forms of an eligible aspirant and also issue him/her with a letter permitting him/her to file his/her nomination forms in the desired Constituency and pay a filling fee of GH¢3000 to begin the electoral process.
• Nominations open on the 28th February 2011 to 6th of March 2011.
• Parliamentary Primaries will be held on the 30th of April 2011.

The party asked persons seeking further information on the primaries to contact its offices around the country or the National Headquarters, Asylum Down, Accra. Myjoyonline.com/Ghana