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The Executives and members of the Patriotic Youth Alliance have urged the National Executive Council(NEC) of the ruling NPP to postpone the impending Parliamentary and Presidential Primaries slated for April 25th, 2020 across the Country.
According to the group, the contagious nature of the COVID-19 disease will endanger the lives of party members who will take part in the elections as they will not be able to practice the social distancing measure put in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
“It would be extremely irresponsible on the part of our party leadership to put politics above the lives and well being of grassroots party delegates and party people, whom we need each alive Healthy for the non-negotiable Victory in election 2020. This obsession by N.P.P. National Executives to have the Primaries at all cost at these difficult moments the country is facing and with total disregard for the lives of their own polling station delegates shows how insignificant they view us, the delegates,” the statement read in part.
It further added: “Holding the elections at the polling station level would not prevent coronavirus spreading. It takes only 1 person to spread the deadly disease. Again, does coronavirus know the difference between a constituency wide election or electoral area or polling station level election?”
Below is the full statement
The Executives and entire members of the Patriotic Youth Alliance would like to petition National Executive Council(NEC) to as matter of urgency postpone the impending Parliamentary and Presidential Primaries of our Cherished Party from April 25th,2020 to May Ending, 2020 across the Country.
As everyone knows we are in the midst of an unprecedented catastrophic disease called Coronavirus that puts the lives of all Ghanaians at risk and doesn’t know political colours, Rich or Poor, Politics or not, etc
The disease is highly contagious and extremely fatal as it’s shown a cross the globe.
It would be extremely irresponsible on the part of our party leadership to put politics above the lives and well being of grassroots party delegates and party people, whom we need each alive Healthy for the non negotiable Victory 2020. This obsession by N.P.P. National Executives to have the Primaries at all cost at these difficult moments the country is facing and with total disregard for the lives of their own polling station delegates shows how insignificant they view us, the delegates.
Holding the elections at the polling station level would not prevent coronavirus spreading. It takes only 1 person to spread the deadly disease. Again, does coronavirus know the difference between a constituency wide election or electoral area or polling station level election?
These attempts to hold the elections on 25th April 2020 at all cost by Chairmen Blay and his team would put the lives of our hardworking party Executives (Delegates) at risk.
Again, by holding the Primaries against President’s directive against large public gatherings and lockdown would be a mockery and lack of respect for our cherished First Gentleman of the land.
We would like to plead with Chairman Freddie Blay, John Boadu, Sammy Awuku, Nana B. and all NEC members not to make the same mistake as NIA was doing with the National ID card registration.
We the grassroots want our leaders to put our lives first, the same way they put their own and family members lives above all else in this country and postpone the election to May Ending or early June until the risk of this deadly coronavirus has subsided.
SOME REASONS FOR THE POSTPONEMENT OF PARLIAMENTARY AND PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES
1. Risk of polling station delegates exposure to coronavirus extremely high.
2. It takes only 1 infected person to spread the deadly disease to the whole community.
3. Risk of disease spread form N.P.P. delegates to their families, general community and nation high.
4. Infected N.P.P. delegates will not be healthy to campaign against NDC during general election.
5. Risk of an explosion of the virus among Electoral Commission and Security Personnel high.
6. National N.P.P. has made no provision to pay the medical bills of delegates that contract coronavirus as a result of the Primary election.
7. National N.P.P. has made no provision to pay the funeral expenses of delegates that will die from acquiring the coronavirus as a result of the Primary election.
8. N.P.P. National Executives in Accra should leave their airconditioned offices and luxury vehicles and also come to the grounds and also expose themselves to the coronavirus during the Primary election if they do not want to listen to the grassroots. Why should foot soldiers be the only ones taking risks?
9. It will be virtually impossible to prevent all the well-wishers, drummers, food vendors, etc. from storming voting areas, therefore increasing the likelihood of contracting and spreading the coronavirus.
Thank You.
Spokepersons
Thomas Boakye 0559163297
Nana Ansah Samuel 0553347823
Sarpong Fredrickson 0244154130
Kwadwo Oduro 0271315098
