Public Agenda (Accra)
Ebenezer Hanson & Wisdom Donkor
10 October 2008
As the late Mr. Baah-Wiredu's remains were flown in from South Africa on Wednesday, some leading members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) were reportedly rooting for his son to replace him as candidate of the Asante Akim-North constituency.
The MP for Bantama, Ms Cecelia Abena Dapaah, one of the advocates of the idea, told the Public Agenda in an interview on Tuesday that, the nomination of one of the children of the late MP to stand on the ticket of the NPP at the Asante Akim North Constituency would not only boost the party's chances but would also defuse the ongoing rancor over a candidate to replace the late MP.
Ms Dapaah said she does not see anything wrong if any of the matured and qualified children of the late MP replaces his father in the forthcoming December Parliamentary election, adding; "a quality man should be replaced with an equally quality person."
Ms Dapaah bemoaned the bickering in the Asante Akim North Constituency and called on the constituents to exercise much restraint since the late Baah-Wiredu was a noble man and would definitely not be happy with current developments in his constituency if he were alive.
She appealed to NPP members of the constituency to manage the situation in a matured manner and help the party at the national executive to select a competent and winnable candidate for the party to continue the good work of the late MP.
The MP for Mfantseman West and Minister for Information and National Orientation (MINO), Mr. Stephen Asamoah-Boateng said the party should allow any qualified person who expresses interest in replacing the late MP to contest the primaries.
"They can even be as many as 100 but at the end, the democratic process would select one person," he said.
Mr. Asamoah-Boateng noted that the rush for the seat was normal but added that the most important thing was to get a competent and quality material to replace the late minister.
The Minister for MINO lamented the bitter wrangling in the constituency and appealed to those pointing accusing fingers at Mr. Andy Appiah Kubi, Deputy Executive Secretary of Free Zones Board as the one responsible for the death of the late minister to desist from that act . "The pressure is too much, it could be you or me," he said.
Deputy Majority Leader and MP for Suame, Hon. Osei-Kyei-Mensah Bonsu, also told Public Agenda that, against the backdrop of the limited time at the party's disposal to nominate a candidate , the apparent rush by party members to pick nomination forms was normal.
He said the Electoral Commission (EC) has set October 16 and 17 for the filing of nominations and the party were hard pressed for time.
Hon. Bonsu said time available would not allow the party to go through the normal process of advertising for the position and other related steps, hence the rush by the party members to file nomination.
He appealed to members of the Asante Akim-North to stay calm and allow the democratic process to take place to nominate the right person adding, "it is God who crowns people."
It would be recalled that the Tuesday October 7 edition of the Daily Graphic reported that 20 people were injured last Monday when the process to find replacement for the late Kwadwo Baah Wiredu turned violent. The paper said Police reinforcement was called in from Kumasi to bring the situation under control.
At the close of nominations on Monday, six people including Mr. Appiah-Kubi were said to have filed nominations.
Meanwhile, news monitored on Adom FM last Wednesday said, the Asante Akim-North Constituency has disqualified Andy Appiah-Kubi from contesting saying it was a measure to forestall further violence.
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