The 13-member committee put together by the leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to investigate and establish the cause of the party’s defeat in the December 7 general election has begun its work.
It has, therefore, called on members and sympathisers of the party to take note and be ready to submit their statements and other evidence that would aid the committee to come out with the right report.
Speaking at a press conference in Accra yesterday, the Chairman of the committee, Dr Kwesi Botchwey, a former Minister of Finance and Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), said the committee was ready to engage NDC members in all the 10 regions to ascertain the cause of the party’s defeat.
Background
Former President John Dramani Mahama, who was the flag bearer of the NDC in the December 7 general election, lost to Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Nana Akufo-Addo secured 5,716,609 votes, representing 53.84 per cent of the valid votes cast, to snatch the Presidency from President Mahama, who secured 4,713,277 votes, representing 44.40 per cent.
The NDC also lost more than 40 parliamentary seats to the NPP, which has given the NPP the majority in Parliament.
Following the NDC’s defeat, a committee was put together by its leadership to investigate the causes of that defeat.
The committee has been given 90 days to submit its report.
Modalities
Outlining some of the modalities the committee would use to gather its information, Dr Botchwey said “the committee shall receive statements and testimonies through interviews, focus groups, letters, audio recordings and other forms of information gathering”.
He said the committee had been structured into three groups for the purpose of conducting consultations and hearing across the country.
“Members of the party are to note that each region has been zoned and each zone is made up of one or more constituencies, depending on size and distance,” Dr Botchwey said.
He said the committee would commence hearing in the Greater Accra Region next week, beginning with the Madina and the Adenta constituencies.
“Consultations are going on with regional and constituency executives for actual dates for the regional tours which will begin next week,” he added.