BA NDC Drops 2

The vetting committee of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Brong-Ahafo Region has withheld results on two parliamentary aspirants pending further investigations and instructions from the national headquarters, Accra. The fate of the two � Albert Appiah Boateng (Tano North constituency) and Prince Opoku Mensah (Techiman North) � hangs in the balance whilst 56 names have been going round on some party members and journalists� mobile telephones as aspirants who have been cleared to contest in the parliamentary primaries in the region on November 7. When DAILY GUIDE contacted the regional chairman of the party, Opoku Atuahene, for explanation as to why the two had not been cleared, he said the issue was being handled at the national headquarters. He was unable to say what further investigations the national headquarters vetting committee wanted to conduct on them, except to say the method for vetting this year had changed, adding that �Three stakeholders, comprising constituency, regional and national executives, met to do the vetting but were not conclusive on the two.� Prince Opoku Mensah told DAILY GUIDE via telephone that the national vetting committee had delayed his clearance because it said it wanted to conduct further investigations on him. Asked why he thought the committee wanted to conduct further investigations on him, he said he did not know and was waiting for whatever it would do. When DAILY GUIDE told him of rumours that his contender, was the one allegedly behind efforts to drop him because he (Prince) is popular among the grassroots at Techiman North, he said he could not confirm it but only said some constituency executives informed the vetting committee that he (Prince) was not up to four years in the party and that he joined the political grouping through the �back door� and so should be disqualified. He debunked the claims, saying he is a true card-bearing member of the NDC and that he joined the party in 2007. The other aspirant, Albert Appiah Boateng, did not answer his phone call, but it is believed his issue might have to do with the alleged forgery of his degree � that is said to be under investigations by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI).