According to political pollster, Ben Ephson, a new plan by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) to allow only female aspirants to challenge female incumbent MPs will spell “total disaster” for the party’s chances in 2016 general elections.

The NPP has reserved 14 seats held by female NPP MPs for only female contestants in parliamentary primaries slated for May 2015.

For example in the Asokwa constituency in the Ashanti region, only a female aspirant can contest incumbent Patricia Appiagyei.

But Managing editor of Daily Dispatch newspaper Ben Ephson is unimpressed by the policy.

Ben Ephson

He argues that if NPP really wanted to help women participate in politics, the party should have reserved some of their 100 safe seats for women instead of reserving swing seats for women which could be won over by their main rival, the governing National Democratic Congress.

“I don’t know but maybe they want to remain in opposition; they have put in place a mechanism which will make them lose….this is a recipe for total disaster,” he pronounced on Accra-based Okay FM’s morning show.

He said the policy may have two ramifications- Peeved NPP male aspirants may contest as independent candidates and split the votes which will hand over the seats on a silver platter to other parties.

He would not also rule out the option of aggrieved persons taking the matter to court to challenge the legality of the decision by the NPP National Executive Council.

The Council announced the decision yesterday in a press statement to open nominations for parliamentary primaries on 30^th March.

It is not clear how the decision is being received across the party. But for Ben Ephson the NPP “are just preparing the grounds to lose more seats”.