In response to the common refrain by grassroots party members that they are often sidelined during the formation of governments after they help their parties to win power, the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has promised to allocate at least 10 appointments to party members in each constituency when he becomes president.
In an address to delegates of the governing New Patriotic Party in the Awutu Senya East Constituency of the Central Region ahead of the NPP’s presidential primaries, Dr Bawumia said in his government, all 275 constituencies in the country will have the opportunity to be represented in government.
“Party loyalists tell me that when the party is voted into power to form a government, they are left out in the processes of governance.
“That is why I’m coming up with three initiatives which I believe that if effectively utilised the party and the government will be well integrated. The first one is appointments. Anytime there are appointments, the constituencies normally say they have been left out.
“So, what I will do is that in governance, a president can make about 7,000 appointments, and we have 275 constituencies which we will add one more next year to make them 276, so my plan is that some of the 7,000 appointees can come from the constituencies.
“My proposal is that one constituency, 10 appointments. Doing that will ensure that all the constituencies will have a total of 2,760 appointments,” Dr Bawumia stated.
Meanwhile, he has also called for a clean and decent campaign ahead of party’s presidential primaries.
According to Dr Bawumia, the election is a ‘family contest’.
He said all the nine aspirants are from the same ancestral roots, which is the UP tradition.
Consequently, he has instructed his followers to eschew verbal attacks directly and indirectly on other aspirants seeking to lead the party in the next general election.